Long Way From Home
by fleeting fancy
Summary: This is my first fic. A different version of Ryan's dad's arrival in Newport. Consider this an AU altogether for your sanity. Frank shows up in Newport unexpectedly and wreaks havoc on the Cohen household, leaving Sandy and Kirsten to pick up the pieces.
1. Chapter 1

The characters are not mine. Just playing with them a bit. This is my first fic ever. Started this from a prompt I read on live journal a while back, where I often lurk and enjoy the wonderful offerings there. Figured what the hell. I've rated it T for now, for language but that might change in later chapters depending on where it takes me.

Summary: Ryan's dad shows up unexpectedly.

Author's notes: I didn't watch this show regularly, and I was too lazy to search out info for the canon background but, as i said, I have read a lot of O.C. fics and so some things may be unconsciously linked to those stories as opposed to what actually may have happened within the show. So let's just call it an AU where some things may fall in line and some of this stuff may just be pulled from my ass. My Frank is a much harder edged Frank than on the show a**nd in my mind the Frank I'm writing is much more physically intimidating than Kevin Sorbo. I know he was Hercules but he looked pretty non-threatening to me. lol.** This is un-beta'd, so all mistakes are my own and I freely admit to being punctuationally challenged. So apologies for that.

**UPDATED NOTES (the line in bold above was also added):** It has come to my attention that some readers may be looking forward to some Summer and Marissa in here. To be honest, I didn't really care for Marissa, so I don't really plan on her showing up much (she's mentioned in chapter six but only as a tool to make something work within the story) and if she does, she probably won't be portrayed in the most favorable of lights. So, sorry to any Marissa fans out there. She just was not my thing. As for Summer, she may turn up more, since she's Seth's girlfriend in here, but I might go light on her simply because I don't think I'd do the character justice. If I happen upon a scene where she fits well for me and the characterization comes easy, then, by all means, I'll throw her in there.

As for the timeline, it's pretty wonky. I'm mish-mashing all kinds of things in here that I feel seem to work within the context of my story. I'm sorry if it confuses the hell out of loyal viewers of the show. Just pretend that seasons one-four of the show were really one loooong season. Only missing a few events and people. Like Theresa. And Oliver. And Johnny. And Lindsay. And Volchok. And so on. If the story takes me down a path where a certain character or event works to my advantage then I'm using it. lol.

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Chapter One

"You're a long way from home, boy."

The voice startling Ryan as his head whips around to face the source. His heart quickens as his eyes flicker across the pool house searching for a means of a quick escape, suddenly wishing he hadn't begged off of the charity dinner of the month. Putting on a suit and tie and mingling with the likes of Julie Cooper and Caleb Nichol seems a welcome alternative to this completely unwelcome turn of events. He glances at the clock, wondering how long the Cohens will feel obligated to stay. Part of him not wanting them to come home in case this turns ugly and another part of him praying that they do.

"Nice digs. Quite a step up from Fresno, eh?". He steps into the pool house.

Ryan tenses further as he tries to find his voice. "Dad..I...wh..what are you..when did you..."

Frank laughs, "Still have quite the way with words, huh? What? Aren't you happy to see me, boy?".

Ryan's breathing shallows as his father moves closer. "What are you doing here?".

"Came to see my boy, what else? Heard you were living the high life while me and your brother were rotting in jail", he says as he eyes the room briefly before turning a steely gaze to his son.

Ryan's stomach churns as he recognizes that look in his father's eyes. "Mom ditched me and this...it was my first offense. I'm on probation", he blurts out trying to explain.

"And look at you now. Rubbing elbows with the likes of Caleb Nichol." He takes in Ryan's puzzled look and continues, "I've been keeping an eye on you".

"Why?", Ryan asks, wondering just how long his father's been out.

"I got a right to know what's going on with my boy, don't I? Fancy clothes. Fancy parties. Kickin' back in the lap of luxury without a care in the fucking world, while me and your brother are eating slop", he snarls.

"Look, I'm...I'm sorry that Trey got sent up. It makes me sick thinking about him in there but that was his doing. I...he had priors. There was no way around him doing time this time."

"You think he's getting what he deserves?", Frank says as his eyes narrow and he takes a step closer to Ryan.

"No. I didn't mean...", Ryan starts but is cut off by Frank.

"You think I got what I deserved?! You think all of this is what you deserve?", he sneers as he waves a hand at the surroundings.

He and Trey did get what they deserved. They made their choices and had to deal with the consequences but Ryan wasn't an idiot, so he didn't point that out. Instead he just says, "No. I...I know I don't deserve it".

Meanwhile, unbeknownst to the occupants of the pool house, the Cohens had returned home to hear a loud voice carry across the patio and down the driveway. They recognize Ryan's voice as they quietly approached to find out who his visitor was. Everyone they knew was at the fund raiser and the raised angry voice certainly wasn't one any of them recognized. Having only caught the latter part of this exchange, they still didn't know exactly who this man was.

Kirsten's heart clenched at Ryan's words. Did he really still believe he doesn't deserve to be there or was he simply telling this man what he thought he needed to hear?

"You're damn right you don't deserve it", Frank says firmly. "Hell, it seems they don't think you do either or you wouldn't be hidden away in their fucking pool house like some hired help. I think I should take offense that they don't think my kid is good enough to live in their house".

Well, that answers that question, Kirsten thinks. Sandy pales at the revelation and Seth is nervously looking at his parents with a "well, what do we do?" look on his face. Unsure himself, Sandy makes a move towards the pool house just as Ryan starts to speak again.

"It's not like that, dad. I...Kirsten...this is where they let me sleep when I first showed up. They didn't know me. It was just supposed to be for the weekend. I was going right back home after but then when Mr. Cohen took me back mom was gone. The house was empty", Ryan tries to explain. "After that, they were going to take me to child services but...but then I ended up staying".

After a beat, Frank asks, "if it ain't temporary no more why you still out here instead of in there?".

Ryan didn't have an answer really. The Cohens hadn't asked him to move inside once Kirsten agreed to let him stay and he was comfortable enough there so he didn't really think anything of it. They were just letting him live there, giving him a chance at a decent life. He couldn't ask for more than that.

Frank scoffs, "That's what I thought", taking Ryan's silence as confirmation. "You can pretend all you want but you don't belong here. They know it and you know it. You're just some mangy stray they brought home, stuck out here because you ain't housebroken yet".

"Ryan...", Sandy had heard enough. "We're home", he says from the doorway.

Ryan's gaze jumps to Sandy and then back to his father who turns to face Sandy.

"Frank Atwood, I presume", Sandy says.

Seth and Kirsten are hovering outside on the patio. Kirsten with her hand in her purse fingering her cell phone and Seth nervously shifting his weight from foot to foot as he takes in Ryan's stance. He's tense, with one arm hanging at his side. His hand unconsciously pulling and twisting at the seam in his jeans, upper arm tightly gripped by his other hand as it kneads and pulls at his skin. His eyes glued to his father as Sandy steps further into the room. The scene seems so wrong to Seth. He's the one that nervously fidgets, not Ryan. His gaze shifts to Frank and sees his cold stare fixed upon his father and hears the words they all heard Frank saying to Ryan echoing in his head and he frowns. This is Ryan's dad. He tries to imagine being a child having to look up at that man towering above him and his gaze reverts back to Ryan, who suddenly looks very young and unusually vulnerable.

"You _presume_ correct", Frank mockingly states. "I'm talkin' to my kid. Do you mind?", he snarls at Sandy.

Sandy ignores the question. "Ryan? Why don't you go inside with Seth while I talk to your dad."

Ryan's eyes dart between Sandy and his dad, unsure of what to do. He wants to get the hell out of there but is afraid of what will happen between the two if he does. Sandy doesn't know his dad. He doesn't know what he's capable of. Franks voice breaks through his thoughts.

"Ryan's not going anywhere. We got some catching up to do", Frank says as he turns back to Ryan. "Don't we, boy?"

Ryan opens his mouth to respond but is cut off by Sandy. "Ryan's going inside. You can catch up later". He pointedly looks at Ryan and nods in the direction of the house. Ryan swallows then licks his lips as he slowly starts to move past Frank, who reaches out and grabs his arm. "I said Ryan's not going anywhere".

Much to Sandy's dismay, Kirsten steps in and calmly tries to diffuse the situation before it escalates. "I'm Kirsten", she states as she extends her hand.

"Frank", he offers as he takes her hand and eyes her suspiciously.

"We don't mean any disrespect, Frank. Your unexpected visit has just caught us all by surprise at this late hour and we'd like a chance to talk to you privately regarding the circumstance of Ryan coming to stay with us. Why don't you come inside and I'll make some coffee. We'll catch you up on what Ryan's been up to while Seth fills him in on our evening."

Taking in her perfectly put together appearance and casting an eye over her expensive jewelry he makes a decision. It might not be a bad idea to have a little look around the castle. With a tight smile, Frank releases Ryan's arm with a nod. Sandy leads Frank out onto the patio and into the house as Kirsten steps towards Ryan and gently touches his shoulder. She gives him a smile and says, "You stay here with Seth while we talk with your dad. Ok?"

As she turns to leave Ryan calls out, "Kirsten?". She turns back and sees the fear in his eyes. Fear for himself now replaced with fear for them. "I don't think..."

Kirsten steps towards Ryan again and gently places her hand on his cheek, "It's ok, Ryan. Sandy can take care of himself and he won't let anything happen to me. All right?". Ryan sighs. "It's just that my dad...he...", he trails off as he struggles to find the words, still reeling from the fact that not only is his father out of jail but right here Newport. "You should make him go as soon as possible. And don't get too close to him." he finally forces out, looking her straight in the eye. She nods in understanding and once again turns to leave.

The second the pool house door closes behind her, Seth lets out a huge "Dude" and flops down on the bed. "And I thought that my night was made of misery. I was seriously about to pee myself there for a second". He props himself up on his elbows asking, "are you okay?, as Ryan stared out the window watching the movement inside the kitchen.

"Ryan?", Seth prompts.

"What?", Ryan asks distractedly.

"Are you okay?"

"Huh? Oh. Yeah. I'm okay", he says with another sigh. He turns to look at Seth and says, "It's just that he's the last person I expected to see turn up here, you know?". He shakes his head still not quite believing that his dad is now in the Cohens' kitchen. Having coffee no less. The last time he saw him was when he was being wrestled to the ground by three cops so they could get him handcuffed and then driving him away in a paddy wagon.

Seth sits up on the bed and starts bouncing up and down. "I get it. Worlds colliding and all that...Uh, no offense but your dad?...is a scary dude."

Ryan snorts and sits down next to him. "Tell me about it. When I turned around and saw him, I felt like I was 7 years old again and wanted to hide under my bed".

Seth nods. "Totally understandable. I wanted to run and get Captain Oats. Not that I think turning to Captain Oats is childish, mind you. No. It's nostalgic comfort, which is a completely legitimate grown up reason to hold onto my sole childhood friend, whom, I might say, may have been inanimate but totally a step up from an imaginary friend", Seth awkwardly rambles before falling silent. "You haven't seen him since you were, what, eight?", he gently probes.

Ryan runs a hand down his face and answers, "Yeah.". He's silent for a beat and then continues. "Mom moved us to Chino shortly after. She never mentioned him after that and whenever we'd ask about him she'd flip out. So we quit asking".

"Did you want to see him? Want him to come back?", Seth questions. Wondering why they'd ask about him. If it were him, he'd be glad he was gone.

Ryan gets up and walks to the window, looking into the kitchen again. "I don't know, Seth. I mean, he was my dad. The only one I ever had. It sucked a lot of the time but it's all I knew and I guess part of me did want him home again. Especially when Dawn started bringing home guys like AJ.". He shook his head and turned back to Seth. "I think I buried a lot of the bad shit and convinced myself that things weren't as bad when dad was around. Truth is, mom was always attracted to the same kind of guys. Dad, AJ, or whoever. Same guy, just a different face and name."

Seth rises and walks over to Ryan, not quite knowing what to say. He follows Ryan's gaze to the Cohen household's central hub, currently housing his parents and the anti-Sandy. Standing side by side, both lost in their own thoughts until they eventually converge into one. This can't end well.


	2. Chapter 2

Chapter Two

Frank followed Sandy into the house, ignoring Sandy's offer to have a seat. Instead, he stepped just into the family room, taking in the impressive entertainment center. He mentally shook his head at the advances in electronics since he'd been locked away. Things keep getting smaller and smaller. Everyone had a cell phone and those music player things. He smiled and thought how much easier it must be for thieves. These new flat panel tvs are a damned sight better than those heavy bulky things he had to wrestle out of a house when he was a teenager.

Sandy watched him with the distinct impression that he was casing the joint. "_Surely he wouldn't be so blatant as to steal from us. Surely he'd know he'd be the first person we suspected_", Sandy thought.

"When did you get out?", Sandy dove in and asked.

With his back still to Sandy, he walked about the room picking things up and setting them back down. He's pretty sure he can get some money out of these people but, just in case they low ball him, it can't hurt to cover his bases. If he decides to help himself to a few valuables in this house, any lawyer would make easy work out of the fact that he'd been invited in and would have a reason for his fingerprints to be found in the house. Of course, he usually wore gloves so he wouldn't have to worry about prints but sometimes it's fun to skate by on a technicality and he had a feeling that something like that would really get under this guy's skin. "About 6 months ago", he finally answers. Deciding to turn up the heat, he turns to Sandy and smirks, "You've got quite the set up here".

"Excuse me?", Sandy asked, not quite sure what he was getting at. He could be talking about the house but that smirk belied something much darker.

"Rich wife. My kid stashed out there for when you get bored with her", he snidely said. Taking in Sandy's puzzled face he added, "or maybe it's your wife that likes 'em young. A little boy toy on the side?"

Sandy's stomach churns at the implication. His eyes narrow and he steps towards Frank, "I don't know what it is that you want and right now I don't care. Ryan's a good kid that was in a bad situation. We wanted to help him that's all. If you are here intending to hurt him in any way, it will be the biggest mistake of your life".

Frank laughs and puts his hands up in a conciliatory manner, "Hey, take it easy. I'm just trying to figure out what a couple of fat cats like you and the missus are doing with my kid. You gotta admit, he's a good looking boy. They'd have been fighting over him in prison".

Disgusted with what he's hearing from this man, Sandy decides that they need to get him out of Newport as soon as possible. Any way they can. Having read the man's file when Ryan's stay became permanent, he'd always dreaded the day that he would get out of prison, knowing he'd come looking for Ryan if he'd heard where he was living. A man like Frank doesn't pass up an opportunity like this. Sandy just wondered how much it was going to take to make him disappear.

"Sandy?", Kirsten interrupts his thoughts as she enters the kitchen.

"Frank, how about we have a seat in the kitchen and we can...discuss things", Sandy offers.

After a brief hesitation, Frank nods and smiles wide in understanding as he walks past Sandy and takes a seat at the kitchen table. _Yep, sometimes it's just too easy..._he chuckles to himself. Kirsten gets the coffee started and takes a seat beside Sandy, across from Frank, who turns his attention turns to her. "You're Caleb Nichol's daughter", he states.

"Yes...yes, I am", Kirsten startles at the comment as Sandy inwardly groans. This guy's done his homework. This isn't going to come cheap. He decides to cut to the chase and comes right out and asks, "How much?"

Frank leans back in his chair and smiles. "How much is he worth to you?"

Kirsten looks between the two before standing and asking Sandy if she can speak to him privately. At Sandy's hesitation, she gives him a pointed look and walks out of the room.

"I wouldn't take that shit from no woman. I don't care if she is holding the purse strings", Frank declares, face hard. "Dawnie ever looked at me like that and I'da knocked her into next week".

Sandy ignores him and joins Kirsten in the other room. "Sandy, what is going on? I only stayed behind in the pool house for a few seconds. What happened between you two?", she asks.

Sandy sighs, "Kirsten, we need to get rid of him. Quickly. In those few seconds, I've learned all I need to know about Frank Atwood. He's here for money and, quite frankly, after what we heard him saying to Ryan, even if he wasn't, I'd pay to get him out of Ryan's life".

Kirsten nods in agreement. "Before I left the pool house Ryan told me that we should make him go as soon as possible. He told me we shouldn't get too close to him, either." She shakes her head and continues, "He was so scared Sandy. I could see it in his eyes." She's silent for a moment before saying, "Okay. So we pay him off. How much do we offer? I don't want to offer too much too quickly but...$100,000. We'll offer him $100,000."

Sandy pulls her into a hug, "Have I told you lately how much I love you?"

"He's worth it, Sandy. He's such a sweet boy, with so much potential. He's like the missing piece to our family. He belongs with us. I look at Dawn and now that man in there and I...I just can't believe..."

"I know, honey", he says as he pulls back from her. "It just doesn't seem possible that they're his parents", Sandy says. He gives her hand a squeeze, "Well, let's get this over with". Squaring themselves, they walk back into the kitchen and reclaim their seats.

Sandy wastes no time in laying it out on the table, "$100,000. That's our one an only offer. Non-negotiable".

Frank's expression is blank as Sandy continues, "You are to stay away from Ryan. I intend on filing a restraining order tomorrow to insure that you comply."

Frank bristles at this, "You can't keep me away from my kid".

"If you want this money, you'll agree to stay away from Ryan and leave Newport. For good. You renege and show up here again looking for more money...if you come near Ryan again, we'll have you arrested for defying the restraining order and I'll add on an extortion charge. We don't need to give you any money at all. I have no doubts that I could convince social services and the courts that Ryan is better off with us. We'd rather not make Ryan go through all that, though, so why don't we save ourselves some time and just give you what you want and you can be on your way."

Frank's expression falls blank again but underneath he is seething. _Who does this guy think he is? He thinks he's holding all the cards. Well, he's got another thing coming. But I'll let them think they're in control for now. _"A hundred grand. I could do worse", he easily states as he again leans back in his chair in smug satisfaction.

At that Sandy makes arrangements to meet Frank in his office the next day to work out the details of the transaction and Frank takes his leave.

"Well, that was easy", Kirsten comments.

"Yeah", Sandy says with a sigh. Something niggling in his gut. "Maybe a little too easy".

Kirsten looks at him, "you think he's going to cause trouble?"

"I hope not but I expected a little more of a fight in an effort to get more money or...something. It just didn't feel right. Well, if he does try to stick around and cause trouble, I'll follow through on my threats. I really want to avoid dragging Ryan through all of that but if that's what it comes to...", he trails off not needing to finish.

"What do we tell the boys? They'll be in here any second."

"We'll tell them about the restraining order but we leave out the money. Ryan still has a hard enough time taking anything from us, I hate to think how he'd feel about this", Sandy replies.

Kirsten purses her lips, "I know you're right but he's smart. He's going to know something's up. He's going to know that a restraining order alone wouldn't stop him."

He moves closer and wraps his arms around her waist. "I'll just tell him that we convinced his dad that it would be in his best interest if he left Ryan alone. I can be very convincing when I want to be", he says haughtily in an attempt to lighten the mood.

Kirsten's doubts still evident, "but if we don't tell him about the money and he finds out later..."

"He'll be upset but, for now, we leave it out. Hell, he might put it together right away why his dad's giving up so easily and if he asks us straight out, we'll tell him but if we can convince him without laying that on him, then I think it's worth a try", Sandy concludes.

"Ok. I hope you're ready, because here they come"


	3. Chapter 3

Chapter Three

Kirsten and Sandy watch as Ryan walks tentatively across the patio with Seth animatedly walking beside him. Occasionally hesitating and adopting an exaggerated fight stance and doing a quick round of shadow boxing. They can't help but smile fondly at his tendency to behave completely inappropriately when he's nervous. Especially since Ryan intermittently shakes his head and allows the barest of smiles. Ryan slows as he gets to the door, as Seth ducks behind him crouching low, peering out over Ryan's shoulder as if using him as a human shield.

As they come through the door, Ryan exasperatedly rolls his eyes and throws his shoulder back, "get off me, Seth". He looks at Sandy and Kirsten and instantly sobers, "is he gone?"

"Yeah, give us the play by play. The blow by blow. The 411. Fill us in on the dilly-o daddy-o", Seth says as he starts shadow boxing again.

"Seth.", Kirsten says as she gives him a look that says, "enough".

"Righty-o", Seth mutters and takes a seat at the center island. Ryan remains standing. He takes a deep breath and says, "I'm sorry...I didn't know he was out".

Sandy walks over and places a hand on Ryan's shoulder, "No, Ryan. I'm the one who's sorry. As your guardian I should have been keeping tabs on the situation. According to your dad, he's been out for 6 months. If I'd been on top of things I could have given you ample warning so you wouldn't have been blindsided like that. I'm sorry, Ryan".

Ryan blinks. He wasn't expecting that. "Um, ok...so, what happened? What does he want?", Ryan asks. His mind contemplates the information. _Six months. Did he come right here? Has he been watching all that time?_

Sandy silently guides Ryan to the chair next to Seth before he starts, "I didn't give him a chance to really say what he wanted. I got the feeling that whatever it was he was up to no good. I made a decision and I'm sorry that I didn't consult you first and find out what you yourself wanted but I didn't think any good would come of him being here, Ryan." He pauses to gage Ryan's reaction before continuing. When Ryan doesn't say anything, he goes on, "I took it upon myself to take the situation into my own hands. I told him that I wouldn't allow him the chance to hurt you in any way and that I intended to take out a restraining order on him to keep him away from you...". He stops when Ryan's eyebrows raise in alarm.

"You can do that? I...I mean, he hasn't done anything yet", Ryan states. Sandy and Kirsten take note of the "yet" and exchange a look over Ryan's head.

"You're right. He hasn't, but if I can convince a judge that he is a threat to you, we can get one. With his history of violence I think I can impress upon a judge that he's dangerous. He didn't get violent tonight but I didn't like the way he was talking to you and he did try to physically keep you from leaving the pool house when you wanted to. Kirsten, Seth and I can all attest to that. I don't think there will be a problem, Ryan."

"Are you ok with this, Ryan?", Kirsten asks.

Ryan turns towards her, then ducks his head and softly nods.

When no words spring forth, Sandy continues, "I think I convinced him that sticking around would cause him more trouble than it's worth. He's agreed to leave Newport."

Ryan's brow furrows and Kirsten asks, "Ryan? What are you thinking, honey?"

Ryan looks back and forth between them but says nothing.

Seth jumps in and says, "allow me to speak for my mute friend. So, that's it. You pull out the big guns of legalese and he's gone? Just like that?".

Ryan looks to them again, having had those exact thoughts running through his head. He can't help but feel there's something more the Cohens aren't telling. He saw Kirsten abruptly get up and leave the room with Sandy following close behind, when they were talking to Frank. They were only gone for a few seconds but he could swear he saw a smirk on his dad's face. That told him one thing. Frank was getting something he wanted, and the something that he usually wants is money. Ryan studies Sandy and Kirsten some more and concludes that the reason they're so sure he's not going to cause more trouble is because they're going to pay him off. A part of him cringes at the thought but he has to admit that, if it really gets him to leave, then it's a good thing for all involved. Sandy and Kirsten have done so much for him and they really don't need to be dealing with this shit because of him, and the truth of the matter is, he wouldn't care if he ever saw his dad again. Any fleeting thoughts he'd had growing up of wanting his dad back in his life vanished when he stared into his eyes again. All false illusions fell away and were replaced with the cold hard reality of what it had been like to live with his father. He did not want this man in his life. So if the only way that can happen is for Sandy and Kirsten to shell out some cold hard cash, well, he'd live with it. He feels guilty about it and would certainly never ask for them to do it but he didn't ask. They took it upon themselves. For some reason, they feel he's worth it and that feeling washes over him like a warm comforting breeze. So maybe, just this once, he'll let them handle things. He'll find some way to pay them back.

Sandy's voice shakes him from his thoughts, "He's just been released from prison after 8 years. I don't think the thought of going back is appealing to him. He sees that you have a life here, Ryan, and we just convinced him that he should get on with his".

_Yeah, with a little financial backing_, Seth thinks to himself. He isn't completely buying this any more than Ryan is. He can't believe his parents think they're both this stupid. He casts a sideways glance at Ryan and sees the same skepticism in his eyes but if he's not voicing it then neither will he. He'll follow Ryan's lead. "Well, whatever. However you did it, kudos, daddy-o. If you have this all under control, Ryan and I have got more important things to discuss. Like the fact that Summer wore the most amazing dress tonight. Really. You should have seen her, dude", Seth launches into a play by play of the charity dinner as he gets up from his chair and starts to drag Ryan out of his.

"Ryan?", Sandy interrupts, wanting to make sure Ryan is ok with everything. "You've had a hell of a night. Are you doing ok with all of this, kid?"

Ryan nods, "Yeah. I'm fine. Seeing him threw me but I think...I'm..I'm ok."

"You know you can talk to us if you need to", Sandy states. "Any time", Kirsten throws in earnestly.

Ryan nods again, "I know. Thanks. Good night, Sandy. Good night, Kirsten"

Seth starts to lead Ryan out to the pool house for some Seth/Ryan time but something catches in Kirsten's throat and she, slightly panicky, calls out, "Ryan, wait!".

Ryan and Seth turn, both with eyebrows raised. With all attention now on her, she walks to Ryan and says, "I...I don't think you should sleep in the pool house."

"What?...Why? You said he agreed to leave. You think he'll come back tonight?", Ryan questions.

Seeing fear creeping back into his eyes, she rushes to reassure him, "No, honey. No, I don't think he'll come back here tonight. I'm sorry if I scared you. I...", she struggles to find words. The words Frank said to Ryan suddenly ringing in her ears. _"If it ain't temporary no more why you still out here instead of in there?"_

Sandy takes over, even though he doesn't quite know what's driving Kirsten's actions at the moment, "I have to admit that, while I'm confident that we've come to an agreement with Frank, I would feel better if you stayed in the house until we're sure he's left town.". Which isn't a lie. The thought of Ryan being out there apart from them right now was not sitting well in Sandy's stomach.

Kirsten regains her composure and tries to explain herself, "Ryan, Sandy's right. I don't want you out there while Frank's still around. Like Sandy, I think the situation is under control but I'd rather be safe than sorry. However, that's only part of the reason I want you in the house. All of this has made me realize that I don't just want you in the house for the time being. I want you in the house permanently". She pauses at Ryan's furrowed brow and runs a hand softly up his arm. "Honey, I know it was my decision that you stay in the pool house that first weekend and I'm sorry for that".

Ryan feels he has to speak at this, "No, Kirsten. Don't be sorry for that. I always admired you for that". At Kirsten's own puzzled look, Ryan continues, "You didn't know me and you wanted to make sure Seth was safe. If...my mom didn't care who she let around me and Trey. The fact that you cared enough about your kid to look out for him like that told me all I needed to know about you. You were being a good mom".

Her eyes mist and a lump forms in her throat and she is unable to speak for a moment. "Thank you, Ryan.", she says softly. "The thing is that after that, when I did get to know you and we became your guardians, we should have moved you into the house. I don't know why we didn't. I guess, you seemed settled out there and we thought you'd like your privacy but we were wrong, Ryan. We were wrong not to move you inside. Or, at least give you the option. I'm sorry".

"I'm sorry too, kiddo", Sandy acknowledges. "You're family. You belong inside".

"You don't have to...if this is because of what he said...I mean, you don't have to do this. The pool house is fine. I...", Ryan stammers.

"Fine...is not good enough anymore, Ryan", Kirsten states decisively. "I don't want you out there anymore, so separate from us. I don't know why I didn't see it before now.". She looks out at the structure in question and shakes her head. "It's a building made of glass, with flimsy locks. Half the time you don't even lock the doors but, even if you did, someone could break in in the middle of the night and we'd never know it."

"Kirsten", Ryan laughs, "it's not like there's anything of value in there. The play station and all of that is in the house".

Kirsten's eyes whip back to Ryan. She places her hand softly on his face, "Ryan, don't you know how valuable you are to us? To me?", she quietly states as she pulls him into an impulsive hug. She holds him tightly for a moment before pulling away, slightly flustered. "I'm sorry. Maybe I'm overreacting".

"Maybe?", Seth chimes in sarcastically but secretly happy to see his mom finally throwing caution to the wind where Ryan's concerned.

"I know I hold back sometimes, Ryan. I guess I'm like you in that way. Not wanting to cross boundaries?...but, I don't want you to have any doubts. I want both my boys inside".

"The Kirsten has spoken.", Sandy states.

Ryan looks at all three Cohens and smiles shyly, "I guess I can do that".

Sandy slaps Seth on the back and says, "well, then, that's settled. What say we all call it a night?".

"Come on, Ryan, I have a picture of Summer on my cell phone. You've gotta see that dress...", Seth says as he leads Ryan upstairs. "Dude, don't make me look at a picture of your girlfriend on your cell phone. That's a little creepy", Ryan can be heard saying. "But, man, she looked so hot. Like totally amazingly hot", Seth whined. "So, what? You want me to drool over your girlfriend?", Ryan teases. Seth resoundingly replies as their voices trail off, "Yes! I want you and every other guy to drool over my girlfriend and to suck it over the fact that she's mine. All mine."

Kirsten watches as they all vacate the room. She turns off the lights and walks to the back door and clicks the lock. Secure in the knowledge that her family is safe inside. She throws one last glance at the empty pool house and thinks, _This is right. Finally._

Now, if only Frank would adhere to the agreement, it would be perfect.


	4. Chapter 4

Chapter Four 

Seth and Ryan had settled into his room and Seth finished recounting his night, ending with the tale of Summer, in her amazing dress, having a rage blackout on Taylor Townsend, who, in her attempt to escape the Roberts wrath, bumped into a waiter and knocked his tray. The poor guy managed to right the tray before losing the entirety of its contents but not before a few wily mini-quiche escaped...right onto Julie Cooper.

"So, how much do you think the 'rents are parting with?", Seth asked as he slid down onto the floor and leaned against the bed to be level with Ryan.

Ryan, who was leaning against the wall absently leafing through a comic, gave a lopsided smile. He knew Seth had figured it out, too. "I don't even want to know. I hope it's not too much, but then again..."

"You hope it's enough.", Seth states. Ryan nods. "You think your old man will follow the Steve Miller plan?", Seth continues.

"The Steve Miller plan?"

"Yeah, you know, take the money and run", Seth explains.

Ryan smiles wide and shakes his head. Only Seth. "Since when do you listen to The Steve Miller Band?", Ryan sidesteps the question.

"I don't but it's a classic. The 'rents listened to all that shit and let me tell you that it didn't leave me without trauma. Picture if you will, a young lad, full of innocence and joy, running into the house after school only to happen upon his dear father getting handsy with his mother in the kitchen while serenading her about how much he loves her peaches and wants to shake her tree", Seth concludes with a full body shudder.

Ryan outright laughs at that.

"It's not funny. I could have been scarred for life if not for the support of Captain Oats", Seth says as he picks up the plastic horse, cradles it in the crook of his elbow and pets it. Wise to Ryan's avoidance tactics, Seth decides not to let him off the hook and ends his rambling. "And you didn't answer my question. Do you think he'll go once he gets the cashola?"

Damn. He'd hoped Seth's mind would meander past that topic and keep going like the runaway train it often is. He sighs, "I don't know, Seth. I hope so. I can't think of any other reason he'd turn up here. He never really gave a shit about me before."

Seth chewed his lip before continuing, "I know I only saw him for like a split second but...he doesn't seem like someone that takes kindly to being told what to do." He throws a cautious look at Ryan. He doesn't want to push too hard but they need to know this stuff. If they were to keep Ryan safe they needed to know all they could about Frank Atwood. He would find out as much as he could and then have a little sit down with the 'rents. They all needed to be on the same page, for Ryan's sake.

Contemplating for a moment just how much he wants to say, Ryan answers, "No. He doesn't. Truth is, I expected fists to fly when he was talking to Sandy." He runs his hand across his face and the words pour out. Worry overriding his need to keep his old life from bleeding into his present. "Raised voices at least. Especially if Sandy threw a restraining order at him. The guy I remember would not just sit for that. You saw him while they were talking. He was too calm. I don't think I ever saw him sit that still and I didn't like the look on his face." He's up and pacing now, unable to stop himself. "He's up to something. I can feel it. I mean, like I said, he never gave a shit about me and Trey. Or mom even but he didn't like other people messing with_ his _shit. You know? He could beat the shit out of us but if anyone else ever laid a hand on us he'd rip them a new one. He cheated on my mom all the time. I don't think he ever loved her. She got pregnant with Trey and they got married. They fought all the time. He'd leave for days on end, probably shacking up with some other woman, so finally my mom says two can play at that game and dad comes home and finds her with someone. He nearly killed that guy. He didn't really care that she was cheating on him. He was pissed that someone else touched _his_ wife. He thinks he can take anything he wants but **no one** takes what's his." The words finally come to an end as he leans against the wall and slides down to the floor. He lets his head fall back hard against the wall. He closes his eyes and lets out an exhausted breath, totally spent.

Seth's mind reels from the information Ryan has just imparted on him in an incredibly Seth-like manner, with the pacing and the non-stop rambling, barely taking time to breathe. This can't be good if Ryan is this worked up. Yes, he definitely needs to have a pow wow with the 'rents in the morning. Seth considers the fact that Ryan probably wouldn't have just purged himself like that if he wasn't sleeping inside the house tonight, and knew he'd be sleeping inside from here on out. Normally, Ryan would probably have let a few things slip during their Seth/Ryan time but then he'd shut down and tell Seth that he was tired and Seth would leave. Then he'd be sitting in the pool house by himself with all of these thoughts racing through his head. He hadn't realized until now just how disconnected Ryan's sleeping apart from them must have kept him all of this time. He sent out silent thanks to his mom for making the call and wanting to move Ryan into the house.

"Dude, I think that's more than I have ever heard you say", Seth teases, deciding that Ryan's had enough for the night. He'll file away all he learned tonight and leave it lie for now.

Ryan gave a soft snort and opened his eyes. "I don't think I've ever said that much. Ever.", he says, appreciating Seth not pressing him on any of the information that he's just let come gushing out of his mouth.

Seth gets serious again. "Look, maybe dad's right and Frank realizes that it'll be more trouble than it's worth and he just sticks with the SMP. The old man can be pretty persuasive and even if he does try anything, I think the 'rents are up to the task. They won't let anything happen.", Seth confidently concludes.

Ryan studies Seth's face and sees that he has complete faith in his parents. Ryan wonders what that feels like. Sandy and Kirsten have been better parents to him than his own since that first weekend but they aren't _his _parents. They're Seth's. They keep telling him he's family and he wants to believe it but he knows the truth. He knows they care about him but they can't possibly hold him on the same level as Seth. He's their real son.

Ryan gives a small smile, "Yeah. I hope you're right." He gets up and says that he's beat and maybe they should call it a night. Seth agrees, and he heads off to his room. Not "the pool house". _His room. _His smile grows. He's inside now.


	5. Chapter 5

Chapter Five

Seth, proudly feeling that he's really getting this brother thing down, zonks out immediately after Ryan leaves, sprawled out on his bed with limbs everywhere, completely relaxed. It takes a while but Ryan finally gives in to slumber after his mind winds down. Worrisome thoughts still invading his subconscious, he falls into a fitful sleep. Elsewhere in the Cohen house, two voices are hashing out just how to handle the money transaction with one Frank Atwood. After Sandy convinced Kirsten that they didn't need to check on Ryan, that Seth had things under control, they settled in and began to discuss the agenda for tomorrow. They are now discussing whether to give him cash or a cashier's check. Kirsten worries if they give him a cashier's check, that authorities would be able to trace it back to them if Frank used the money for nefarious things and decided to drag them into it if he went down for it. Sandy thinks she's been watching too many movies and reading too many crime novels and thinks that giving him a cashier's check would give them a way to track his movements. He'd have to deposit it into a bank before he could access any cash and then they could monitor his withdrawals and maybe track his movements. Ok, they'd have to resort to less than legal tactics to do so but he wanted to keep a close eye on Frank from here on out, no matter what.

"Honey, I think you're over thinking it. I've read Frank's file. He's a thug. He uses brawn and is impulsive. He doesn't take time to plan out some elaborate scheme to get what he wants. He takes it.", Sandy states.

"I'm sure you're right but I don't want to underestimate him. Who knows what kind of people he befriended in prison or what his old running buddies could have gotten into while he was away. There's no telling what he could get into with that kind of cash, Sandy. We need to cover all of our bases and, no, maybe he's not the type to resort to sinister machinations but impulsiveness and unpredictability can be just as dangerous, if not more. If something doesn't go his way he can turn on a dime and who knows what he'll do."

"Turn on a dime?...you _have _been watching too many movies", Sandy says with his impressive eyebrows raised.

Kirsten smacks him on the arm and says, "I'm serious, Sandy. Maybe we should call my dad".

Sandy bemusedly reaches out and touches her forehead, "Honey, are you sure you're feeling all right? Maybe you should lay back and get some rest."

Kirsten frustratingly throws back the covers and gets out of bed, raising her voice, "Sandy, I'm glad you think this is so funny but I'm serious! Dad would know the proper way to handle such things. I'm not proud of it but you and I both know that my father probably works below board more than above and some day it's going to bite him in the ass but I think he could give us some useful advice here. We are out of our league."

Sandy sighs. She's raised some good points. He gives in and says, "You're right, honey. Maybe we do need someone with a devious mind to help us see the possible obstacles down the road. I let my emotions drive me and didn't think about all of the ways this payoff could go wrong, but you do know that he's going to burst a blood vessel when you tell him what this is for."

Kirsten sits back down on the bed and replies, "Oh, I'm sure he'll try to twist this all around to be Ryan's fault but I have to try, Sandy. I'm going to call him right now".

"Now? It's past midnight, honey."

"Oh. Right.", she sighs. She sits with phone in hand, finger tapping her leg. "I don't care. I want to call him now", she says decisively. "I won't be able to sleep until I do. I'm going to call him and tell him I'm coming over."

Sandy throws up his hands, "Ok. Do you want me to go with you?"

"No. Stay here in case one of the boys wake up when I leave. You'll have to cover for me. Besides, you two would start butting heads in a matter of seconds. Especially when he starts in about Ryan."

Sandy nods in agreement and sits back as she dials the number, ignores the indignant complaints about the hour and states, "I need to talk to you, dad. I'm coming over", and promptly hangs up. He chuckles to himself. He has himself quite a woman.

Next door, a pajama clad Caleb pours himself a drink as Kirsten paces the floor working up to whatever it is she wants to talk to him about. "Spit it out, Kiki. What have I done, now? I can't imagine what could have transpired between when I last saw you at the party to now", Caleb states as he takes a seat. The only time she barges in is when she feels Sandy or Seth...or that boy has been slighted by him in some way.

"You haven't done anything, dad. I needed to talk to you about a...situation Sandy and I have found ourselves in. We...I...need your help", she says as she drops into a chair opposite him.

He waits for her to continue but when she doesn't he says, "I'll help you in any way I can, Kiki, but I need to know what it is."

"Ok. Now, I want you to let me finish before you say anything. It has to do with Ryan and...no, dad, don't say it. Just hear me out first. Please.", she says as he predictably bristles at the mention of Ryan and his involvement. Caleb bites back his words and settles back into the chair,gesturing her to continue with the wave of his hand. "Ryan's dad showed up tonight. He's out of prison and was there in the pool house with Ryan when we got home. We heard raised voices and...oh, dad. You should have heard the things he was saying to him. I know you don't like him but he's such a sweet boy. I really wish you'd give him a chance."

Caleb ignores her last words and asks where he comes in. Kirsten proceeds to tell him the sequence of events that led them here. "How do you know the boy isn't in on it? Dad comes to town, weasels some money out of you and they both disappear."

Kirsten sighs. Predictable. "Dad, I know you have always thought Ryan was after our money but he's been here for a while and don't you think if that were true he'd being milking us for all we're worth? Honestly, Ryan hates taking money from us. He gets upset when I buy him clothes. We had a hell of a time convincing him to go to Harbor because he thought it was too much money to be spending on him. He got a job at the Crab Shack over the summer so that he could have his own spending money without having to take an allowance from us. Does that sound like someone who only wants money?"

Caleb didn't know all of that but refuses to let go of his skepticism just yet, "Maybe that's because he knew his father would be getting out and they had this all planned. No need for pocket change when you're expecting a large payout".

Kirsten shakes her head and rises from her seat. She walks over to him and sinks down to her knees and places a hand on his. "Dad. Please.", She softly says.

Caleb looks into her eyes and suddenly she's his little girl again, looking to her daddy to make things right. He takes a deep breath, "All right, Kiki". He leans forward and kisses her forehead. He can't remember the last time he'd done that. He stands up, pulling her with him and says, "Normally, I'd insist on cash and would have some associates impress upon him that it would be a bad idea to renege but if Sandy is meeting him in the morning I don't have time to set anything up. I'll have a cashier's check cut first thing in the morning. I want you and Sandy to keep your hands clean. I think he's right in that it will be a good way to track his movements. If he has to deposit it in a bank, I doubt that he'll withdraw it all right away. I have people that can track his financial movements as long as he has money in the bank. You and Sandy don't deal with large sums of money like that very often, whereas I do. If he should try to turn the payoff back around on you, I'll be able to cover it better than you."

Kirsten hugs him and says, "thank you".

"You don't worry about a thing. I'll take care of it. You go on and get some sleep", Caleb urges. Kirsten thanks him again and leaves. Caleb sits and sips his drink. He's happy she came to him for help. He still doesn't trust that boy but he'll be keeping a very close eye on this Frank Atwood and if the boy should prove him right then he'll be right there. He will be sorry he ever came to Newport if he is involved.


	6. Chapter 6

Chapter Six

The next morning the Cohen central hub is alive with activity. Some bustling, namely Seth, who is the only one who had gotten a restful night's sleep, and some not so bustling. Ryan was surprised he'd slept straight through once he fell asleep. He's always had a hard time sleeping, ever since he was a kid. Having a hard time falling to sleep and then waking up every couple of hours and always waking up early. He slept through the night but he had not slept particularly well, having tossed and turned in his sleep, so he still felt quite rundown. He just didn't quite no why. It was nice sleeping inside. The room was big so he didn't feel closed in like he sometimes does. That's one thing he loved about the pool house and all its windows. If he ever felt closed in he could open all of the blinds. He could see what was coming at him from all directions. He's never liked enclosed spaces. When he was a kid Frank used to lock him and Trey in their room when he "didn't feel like dealing with them" and sometimes, when he was in a particularly bad mood, he'd shove them in a closet to keep them out from under foot. Although it was sometimes better to be locked in there than out there with Frank, Ryan still hated the small dark space.

"Ryan? You okay, sweetie?", Kirsten asks, pulling him from his thoughts. She'd been watching him since he entered the kitchen, frowning when she saw the dark shadow pass across his face.

"Huh?...Oh. Yeah. I'm ok.", Ryan states.

"So, how'd ya sleep, kid?", Sandy inquires as he rests a hand on his shoulder.

He nods his head a couple of times and says, "Good. I slept good." His thoughts drift again. It's strange how different it felt not having to turn and walk out of the house to go to bed. He suddenly realizes that he really didn't like having to go a different direction than the rest of them. It only reinforced his feelings of being on the outside and looking in.

Sandy gives his shoulder a squeeze, "You sure? You're a little tense."

Ryan tilts his head to look at Sandy and reassures, "Yeah, I'm sure. I guess I still have a lot on my mind but I...", he pauses and then finally admits, "I really like being inside."

Sandy and Kirsten glance at one another, once again feeling guilty for waiting so long to bring him in where he belongs.

"Good. We really like having you inside. We should have done it sooner", he states earnestly as he gives Ryan's shoulder another squeeze before then patting him on the back. "Well, I'd better get going.", Sandy declares as he walks over to Kirsten and gives her a peck on the cheek. "I'll call you."

"Okay. Good luck", Kirsten replies.

At Ryan's worried look, they both reassure him that everything will be all right and not to worry and Sandy heads for the door. Seth suddenly appears behind him, whispering, "dad, wait. When you're done with the anti-Sandy we need to talk." Sandy's eyes fill with concern as Seth continues, "without Ryan present". He cuts Sandy off as he opens his mouth to speak, "no...wait, dad, let me finish. I just think that you, mom and I need to get our ducks in a row here. Ryan and I talked last night and he, like, actually _said _something, if you know what I mean. He's really freaked out about his dad. I need to fill you in on a few things, that's all. Okay?"

Sandy smiles and gives Seth's shoulder a squeeze, "will do, Seth. We'll all talk. I've got to go."

Seth nods and goes back to the kitchen and encounters Ryan's raised eyebrows. Seth shrugs. "I just wanted to give him a Seth Cohen pep talk and a few pointers", he says as he throws a few shadow punches.

Ryan eyes him for a second and lets it go. He knows there's something more there but he trusts Seth. If it's something he feels he can't tell him then he has his reasons. "Ok, well. I'm going to grab a shower". Ryan says as he heads out to the pool house.

"Ryan?", Kirsten stops him. When she has his attention she goes on, "How about we move your things in the house after your shower? Unless you have plans for the day?"

"My morning's free. I have to meet Marissa later."

"I thought you guys were broken up.", Seth chimes in.

"We are but she still comes to me when she needs help. You know Marissa", Ryan shrugs.

Seth nods in agreement, "Yep. She's a taker not a giver." At Ryan's glare, he says, "What? You know it's true".

"That's nice that you still want to help her, Ryan, but I hope she doesn't drag you into anything", Kirsten pointedly states, with a look to match.

Ryan smiles, "No, it's nothing like that. She just agreed to do something for Julie and her rise up the social ladder and I told her I'd help. Some fashion luncheon thing Julie's planning. I don't know. I'm really trying to stay out of her drama, though."

Kirsten smiles, "Good. You go on and get your shower and then we'll get you moved. After that I'd like to go over any changes you might want to make to your room".

"You don't have to change anything. The room's fine.", Ryan states with a frown.

Kirsten approaches him and softly says, "I told you. Fine isn't good enough anymore. I want the room to be yours. I want you to pick out some furniture you like and we can paint if you want. No arguments. It's no trouble."

Ryan shyly agrees, then heads out to the pool house. Seth takes the opportunity to fill his mom in on what he told his dad and they agree that a good time to talk would be when Ryan is off helping Marissa.

After calling in some favors and quickly getting a restraining order drawn up and filed, the exchange goes smoothly. Sandy stops by Caleb's office to pick up the cashier's check and Frank is waiting when he arrives at his own office. Sandy's a little unnerved when Frank doesn't balk at not being given cash. He shakes off the uneasy feeling and reiterates to Frank that there is now a restraining order against him and spells out the consequences of violating it, or trying to milk them for any more money. Frank calmly complies and accepts the check and makes his leave. That uneasy feeling sits in Sandy's gut as he closes the door behind him. He calls Caleb.

Frank, with check in hand, drives just outside of Newport and checks into a rundown motel and contemplates his next move. He'll deposit the check. Any wait the bank may impose on drawing funds off it will give him an excuse to stick around. After that, he'll find a place to live, not too far away, and lay low for a little while. They'll be keeping a close eye on the kid at first. So, he'll go about his business, hook up with some old pals, have a little fun and then, when that smug son of a bitch and his wife let down their guard a little, he'll withdraw the money and then go get his kid. Thanks to the Cohens, he'll be able to disappear with him easily. Then he'll just have to decide what to do with the little bastard. He's always been a pain in the ass but he'll be damned if he's going to let those people have him.


	7. Chapter 7

Chapter Seven

"Sanford", Caleb addressed as he lets Sandy into his office. "So, it's done."

"It's done but I don't think it's over", Sandy says as he takes a seat. "Caleb, I need to thank you for getting involved here. I know we've had our differences but Kirsten was right. We're way out of our league. I don't think this guy's just going to go away."

"You were way out of your league when you married my daughter", Caleb disdainfully states. "If it weren't for you bringing that hoodlum home in the first place, she wouldn't be dealing with any of this right now".

Sandy rolls his eyes, "Look, Caleb, I don't have time for trading insults and placing blame. Fine. It's my fault we're in this mess. What do we do about it?"

"I've already arranged to have a tail on him. They were on him the second he left your office. He checked into a motel just outside of Newport. He won't make a move we don't know about."

"I have a private investigator on him as well. The man I had track down Dawn. He's good."

"My man's better. You can call yours off", Caleb states.

Sandy studies Caleb a moment and concedes. "I imagine he is. All right. I'll pull mine off. Not completely but I'll let your man do the day to day surveillance."

"Fair enough. A second set of eyes can't hurt. All we can do now is wait. If he's up to something, we'll know it", Caleb says as he stands up and motions to the door.

Clearly being dismissed, Sandy rises and extends his hand, "Caleb."

Caleb reluctantly shakes his hand and nods and Sandy exits the office. No sooner than the door closes Caleb is on the phone. "You've arranged it?...Good. Good. Keep me informed."

Back at the Cohen household, Sandy walks in to a quiet house. He animatedly calls out, "Honey, I'm home!. No answer. After a quick peek into the kitchen he heads upstairs. "Oooo, that is so cool! Mom, can I...", Seth's voice can be heard saying. "No. Seth, I told you. We're not buying you new furniture right now.", Kirsten's exasperated voice follows.

"Hey", Sandy says as he enters Seth's room. They're all gathered around Seth's computer.

Kirsten smiles and greets him with a kiss. "We're picking out furniture for Ryan's room. We moved his things in this morning".

"Oh, dude, get that!...it's old school but, look, it's got all kinds of secret compartments", Seth exclaims.

"Seth, what do I need with secret compartments?", Ryan asks with a roll of his eyes.

"I don't know. You could stash some secret documents or porn or something", Seth replies.

"Seth!", Kirsten says with a frown. "Don't say "porn"...and let Ryan look in peace. He's never going to get anything picked out if you keep interrupting."

Ryan takes the moment to look at Sandy, silently asking if every thing's ok. Sandy nods in understanding, "Every thing's fine, Ryan. The restraining order is filed and we have someone...keeping an eye on the situation. All right?" At Ryan's wary look, Sandy quietly asks, "Trust us on this?" Ryan sighs deeply and gives a nod.

"All right then", Kirsten says with a smile, "We'll leave you boys to it. Seth..." she gives him a pointed look, "let Ryan find something on his own. He doesn't have much time before he's supposed to meet Marissa."

"Yeah, yeah. Ok.", Seth says with a touch of petulance. "Heaven forbid he benefit from an artist's eye", he mutters.

Ryan snorts and shakes his head as Kirsten closes the door but his thoughts drift back to Frank. A frown settles onto his face. Seth, noticing the change, says, "dude, it'll be cool. They've got it under control." Ryan nods and squares his shoulders as he turns his attention back to his online shopping task at hand.

Downstairs, Sandy fills Kirsten in on the details of the exchange, as well as his conversation with Caleb. Somewhat mollified that they have the situation covered as best they can, she turns her attention to Seth's want of a Cohen family meeting minus one.

"So, what do you think about this family meeting Seth has called?", she asks as she grabs a bottle of water from the fridge.

Sandy, leans against the center island and says, "I think it's a great idea and I'm really proud of Seth for taking the initiative. He's more worried than he's letting Ryan see".

"And Ryan's more worried than he's letting us see, according to Seth.", she states. "I'm really proud of the way he's handling this, too, Sandy. He's really keeping Ryan grounded and calm. They're both so good for each other."

Sandy steps forward and takes her into his arms. "We're very lucky...and I...", Sandy says as he kisses her neck, "am very lucky."

Kirsten groans, "Sandy, I...don't...think...this is the time...", she haltingly says as he continues to trails kisses across her neck."

"Oh, there should always be time for this", he states as he pauses momentarily and then begins nibbling on her ear. Kirsten giggles.

"UGH!...no, no, no. What is it with you guys and the kitchen?! Have you no shame? We EAT in here!!", Seth exclaims with disgust as he turns tail and heads back upstairs seeking out the comfort of Captain Oats, muttering something about Steve Miller and his damn space cowboy and that people are supposed to nibble on ears of corn in the kitchen and not his mom's ear. Leaving a very uncomfortable Ryan standing in the entry, not quite knowing where to look. He hates walking in on them when they're like this. He never knows what to do. Just ignore it and go about his business? Leave? Back in Chino or Fresno, with his mom, he pretty much reacted the same way Seth did when he walked in the door to find his mom with someone. Well, not verbally. Only he was reacting not to two loving parents caught in the throes of passion, but to two people just wanting to get it on, driven by booze and drugs. Whether it be his dad and his mom, or his mom and some guy she dragged home from a bar, and sometimes they were doing much more than just kissing. Talk about being scarred for life. Ryan swallows hard, feeling a sudden nausea build, and suppresses a shudder.

Sensing Ryan's discomfort, Kirsten pushes Sandy away as she says, "We're sorry, Ryan. Did you get something picked out?"

Unable to look at them, he quickly nods, "Uh, yeah. I picked out a few things. I printed them out and left them on Seth's desk. I, uh...need to get going if I want to meet Marissa on time."

Kirsten smiles, "Ok, good. You have a good day, honey."

Ryan nods and makes a quick exit.

"I think maybe we should be more careful about PDAs in the kitchen for a while", Kirsten says.

"Oh, honey. It's the duty of every child to be horrified to find their parents like that", Sandy laughs.

"I'm not talking about Seth. Ryan was really uncomfortable. I never noticed it before".

"He'll get used to it and pretty soon he'll be groaning in disgust right along Seth", Sandy says as he grabs a bagel.

"No, Sandy, listen. I know you think of Ryan as a son. So do I but we can't treat him like he's Seth. Seth's had his whole life to get used to us behaving like that. As much as we want to be, the truth is, we're not Ryan's parents. We can't keep acting like he's been here all along and thinking he'll react to things like Seth would", Kirsten says as she frowns. "I think that's where we went wrong with the pool house. We didn't move him inside because we thought any teenage boy would like the privacy. Seth would have loved the privacy after being "smothered" by the "'rents" his whole life but Ryan never had the safety and comfort Seth's had all of these years."

Sandy looks at her thoughtfully and sighs. "I think you're right. The pool house was probably a welcome thing when he first came here. The privacy was probably quite a comfort coming from the chaos of what his life in Chino must have been but after a while...", he pauses for a moment, "it only allowed him to remain isolated from us". He shakes his head, "we've really dropped the ball on that one. You're right. I do treat him like he's always been here. He talks so little about his family, it's easy to pretend he's ours. As much as I wish that were true, he's got two parents that did a lot of damage to him."

"Hey, no fair starting the meeting without the person who called it!", Seth says as he enters the kitchen. Relieved that they weren't in the middle of another lovefest. "What's up?"

"Oh, sweetie, your father and I are just discussing some missteps we've made with Ryan that are suddenly becoming glaringly obvious", Kirsten answers.

"Like not moving him inside sooner?", Seth asks.

"Among other things", Sandy states.

"Ok, well, let's get this party started", Seth says as he takes a seat at the head of the table.

Sandy raises his eyebrows as Seth produces a hammer and hits it on the table, "I hereby call this meeting to order".

"Seth, what are you doing?", Kirsten laughs.

Seth shrugs, "I didn't have a gavel".

Sandy and Kirsten bemusedly take a seat.

Seth, taking a serious tone, gets to the crux of the matter, "So...Ryan's really freaked out about his dad. I mean, really freaked out. He told me some things during an uncharacteristic case of verbal diarrhea last night." He holds his hand up to prevent his parents from speaking just yet. "Like I said, he told me some things. Things about what it was like living with his dad. I won't go into details because I don't think that would be right but I will say that, from what he said, Frank doesn't play well with others. He doesn't like to share and he doesn't like to be told what to do. Ryan fully expected violence to erupt between you and him, dad, and the fact that he has seemingly conceded so easily has got Ryan feeling very uneasy. He's sure his dad is up to something. And from what little I saw of him, along with what Ryan's said, I have to agree.", he finally concludes. Then adding, "so, what are you doing about it?"

Sandy, not quite having processed everything Seth has just said says, "We're handling it. Like I said in your room, we have someone keeping an eye on things."

"So, you don't think he'll stick with the SMP either?, Seth asks.

Sandy and Kirsten, clearly confused, exchange looks before Kirsten asks, "The SMP, Seth? What are you talking about?".

"The Steve Miller Plan", he states, as if that will clear everything up. When they continue to stare at him blankly he continues, "you know...", and then sings, "go onnnn take the money and runnn, hoo hoo hooo".

Chuckling in understanding, Sandy says, "So, you know about the money".

"Duh. And so does Ryan. We're not five, ya know. I'm surprised you didn't start spelling out words in front of us", Seth states indignantly.

"Ok. Ok. We need to work on our stealth", Kirsten says. "We didn't want Ryan to be upset that we were paying Frank to leave. You know how he is about money."

"Yeah, yeah. We figured it was something like that. So, what's the going rate for a teenage boy from Chino?", Seth asks.

Kirsten frowns, "Seth. We didn't buy Ryan from him." Although, that was essentially what Frank was doing. Selling Ryan to them.

"Po-tay-to, po-tah-to. So, how much?", he replies.

"We don't want you to tell Ryan...", Sandy pointedly says. At Seth's nod he relays the amount.

Seth whistles and then says, "definitely not chump change to someone like him but I would have held out for more".

"To tell the truth, we figured he would, too. Which is also why we're keeping an eye on him", Sandy says.

"Well, I hope whoever you have on him is more stealth than you and mom", Seth says.

"We've got it covered, Seth", Kirsten says flatly. "It's a man of dad's."

"Grandpa? Grandpa knows about all of this? He hates Ryan.", Seth says with a frown.

"He doesn't hate Ryan. He just doesn't trust him, and he doesn't trust him because he doesn't know him. At any rate, I felt his advice would be valuable to us in this situation and he's agreed to help.", Kirsten defends.

Sandy takes over, "So, Caleb has a man on Frank 24/7 and I have that private investigator that tracked down Dawn keeping his own tabs on him as well, and I'm thinking of putting him on permanent retainer for when and if we no longer need Caleb's man's services. I want to keep constant tabs on Frank from here on out, even if he does...stick to the SMP", he says with a smile. "I also want to have him track down Dawn again and keep an eye on her, as well as Trey. I don't want Ryan to be ambushed by his family like this ever again."

Seth gives his parents an impressed nod. "I told Ryan you two had everything under control. Ok. So, we're all on the same page, right? No more lies by omission?"

"No, that's everything, Seth. Anything else you want to add?", Kirsten asks.

"Nope. I think this meeting is adjourned", he says preparing to whack the table with the hammer again.

Sandy stops his hand mid-swing. "Don't hit the table, Seth", he says with an amused smile.

Kirsten turns to Seth and says, "Seth, I want you to know how proud your father and I are of you for how you're handling all of this. You're really looking out for Ryan..."

Sandy joins in, "it's great that you boys have each other for support and that you can confide in each other. I'm proud of you for not wanting to betray Ryan's confidence but realizing that there are some things we do need to know."

Seth blushes at the praise and says, "Ryan would do the same for me. Well, he may not have come to you. He probably would have tried to handle it himself, but he's always looking out for me and keeping me from doing stupid stuff. Well, trying to keep me from doing stupid stuff. I don't always listen but, anyway, I just want to be a good brother."

"You're doing fine, son. You're doing fine", Sandy says with a reassuring nod.

Seth takes his leave and Kirsten says, "Our boy's growing up".

Sandy puts his arm around her shoulder and pulls her towards him. "He certainly is", he says with a proud smile.

"You think that's true?", Kirsten asks.

"Do I think what's true?"

"That Ryan wouldn't come to us?", Kirsten clarifies.

Sandy sighs, "Sadly, yes. He's so used to having to deal with things himself." He frowns then adds, "well, we'll just have to add that to our list of things we need to right with him."

Kirsten nods in agreement. Damn, they really were in over their heads when they took Ryan in. They've got a lot of work to do.


	8. Chapter 8

**Opening comments: ok, I don't know about this one. I was out most of the day and so it, too, was written quickly and I'm not entirely happy with it but I think it serves its purpose. **

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Chapter Eight

It was late and Ryan couldn't sleep. Again. After the first couple of nights in the house he was unable to sleep through the night. Waking every few hours. Tonight was no different. Sighing, he got up and went downstairs to get something to drink and to see what was on tv. It's been the same routine he's gone through for the past couple of weeks. Thoughts of his dad kept creeping into his head. They'd all been going about their business like normal, but he kept waiting for the other shoe to drop. He'd honestly thought his dad would have reared his ugly head again by now. Plus, he'd had this uneasy feeling of being watched a time or two that he just couldn't shake. According to Sandy, though, his dad had been quiet. Caleb's tail had been on him the whole time. He'd been told of Caleb's involvement the day Sandy had made the exchange, after he'd returned home from helping Marissa. Seth had filled him in on the talk he'd had with his parents. He'd assured him that he didn't tell them anything that Ryan had shared that night. He only encouraged his parents to be prepared for anything where Frank was concerned. Ryan was glad Seth had kept the details to himself. He was a little embarrassed that he'd said so much that night. He didn't want people to know that shit. He just wanted to leave it lay and forget about it. He also wanted to avoid the looks of pity that always seemed to accompany knowledge of his home life. Although, he hadn't seen any pity in Seth's eyes. Seth didn't make a big deal out of it at all. Maybe Sandy and Kirsten wouldn't either. Sandy had to know some already, from his file with social services. So that meant Kirsten knew, too. The basics at least.

Seth also informed Ryan that his parents knew that he and Seth were aware they paid Frank off and that the only reason they kept that part to themselves was because they didn't want Ryan to feel guilty about the money. It was kinda freakin' him out how well they were able to read him anymore but it was nice having people that cared enough to consider his feelings.

Lastly, Seth told him that Kirsten had enlisted Caleb's aid in the details of the payoff and had hired a man to trail Frank and keep them abreast of his movements. He was a little wary of Caleb's involvement. He probably blamed him for this but, regardless, if Caleb was keeping an eye on Frank it did make him rest a little easier. Besides, Caleb was right. Frank was his dad so none of this would have been happening if it weren't for him. According to Caleb's man Frank had withdrawn $10,000 but, outside of renting a small house in Santa Ana and buying a cheap car, he'd not spent much of it. At least not that could be ascertained. Apparently, all he'd been doing was hanging out at a bar a few days a week, shooting pool and drinking, and frequenting a strip club at night. Maybe he didn't have anything to worry about for the time being. Maybe his dad did just want money he didn't have to work for to piss away. He'd never kept a job for long and when money ran out, he'd jack a car or pull a hold up. Which is how he got arrested. Would he go back to old habits once the pay off money was gone or would he come looking for more? Ryan groaned at that thought. He didn't know exactly how much the Cohens had given him, Seth had left that part out, so he didn't know how long it would take him to run through it, but he sure didn't like the thought of them having to give him anymore. Of course, Sandy did have the restraining order, so maybe he would stay away. Yeah right. Since when did a piece of paper stop his dad?

"Ryan?", Sandy's voice came out of nowhere, startling Ryan to his feet. "Sorry, kid. I didn't mean to scare you", he says calmly. He'd had his own trouble sleeping this past week or two. Never quite this late, or early, as the case may be, though. When he did awaken, he usually got up and made a quick check on the boys and then returned to bed. This time, when he'd checked on Ryan, his bed was empty. So he came looking for him. He'd been standing and watching him for a moment, surprised that Ryan hadn't noticed him, but Ryan seemed a million miles away. Eyes aimed at the television but not seeing it. "Every thing all right?", he asks as he sits on the couch.

Embarrassed, Ryan says, "oh, yeah. Every thing's fine. I didn't wake you did I?", then sits back down.

"No. I woke up all on my own and peeked in on you and you weren't there", Sandy admitted, with a smile.

"Oh. Sorry. I guess I should have warned you that my sleeping habits are, uh, a little odd", Ryan states simply. Not quite knowing how he felt about being "peeked in on".

"A bit of a night owl?", Sandy asks, trying to draw him out.

"Yeah, maybe.", Ryan says. Casting a glance at Sandy, he adds, "I just don't seem to be able to sleep through the night most nights. It's always been that way. I guess I just developed weird sleeping habits when I was a kid.", he ends with a shrug.

As much as he wanted to, Sandy decides not to touch that last sentence right now. He could only imagine the reasons Ryan would have been unable to sleep when he was growing up. "You seemed pretty deep in thought when I walked in. You want to talk about it?", he asks, concerned. Mentally kicking himself for yet another issue that has slipped by them due to his sleeping out in the pool house. How many opportunities like this had they missed? "My ears may not be as big as my mouth and my eyebrows but they work pretty good, too.", he says with a smile.

Ryan smiles, "I know, Sandy. I do. It's just that I'm not used to it. In my house you were wise not to draw attention to yourself and part of that was knowing to keep your mouth shut." He's quiet for a moment and then offers, "I guess I just can't relax with my dad living so close by. I keep waiting for something to happen."

"I feel ya, kid, but just try to remember that we've got people watching his every more. If he makes a move, we'll be ready for it, okay?", Sandy tries to reassure.

Ryan nods and then says, "Yeah. I can't believe I'm saying this but I'm glad Caleb's guy is handling that."

"I know what you mean. I have to say that normally I wouldn't trust him with anything to do with you but I think we can trust him on this", Sandy says.

"Yeah, me too", Ryan says with a yawn. He gives and embarrassed shake of the head, "Sorry."

"I think it's time for us both to give it another go. Come on. If we're lucky we can squeeze a couple of solid hours of sleep.", Sandy says as he leads Ryan back upstairs.

While the two in the Cohen household were returning to bed, the Atwood in Santa Ana was just getting in. Settling in on the couch he begins to plan out his next day. He'd gotten into a routine as well. He'd spotted his tail the day he deposited the check in the bank. He'd been expecting it so he'd looked closely. This guy was good but not good enough. Frank decided to use his shadow to his advantage. Getting into a routine of going to the bar during the days and the strip club at night. He figured that guy would get sloppy if he just kept it simple and had a good time, making him think the he was just making up for lost time. The guy had followed him into the bar, and the strip club, that first week. Monitoring his activities up close. Seeing who he was interacting with. When he discovered that all Frank was doing was drinking and playing pool or admiring the ladies, and occasionally bringing one home with him, he'd stopped coming inside. Just observing from the parking lots of the businesses across the street from the establishment in question and waiting for him to come out and then following him home. Frank scoffs. Smug bastards. Think they're so smart. Well, all he had to do when he had something to take care of out from under prying eyes was enter the bar through the front door and slip right out the back. He'd stay inside long enough to make sure that the guy didn't decide to come inside again, and then, if he didn't, he'd slip out the back, hoof it for a block or two and hot wire a car. Nothing too close to the bar or club. He didn't want cops to start snooping around too much. Then, he'd take care of the things he needed to and return within his normal time frame. It worked like a charm. And now, he's just about ready to get this show on the road.

The next day, he loses his tail and hooks up with Joe, a guy he met when he first got out. He'd gotten him to look for another house for him. One that would suit his needs better and he needed to check and see if a few minor changes he'd wanted done had been taken care of. He'd had Joe rent it and given him enough cash for first and last months rent. Then he'd had him keep an eye on the kid. To make sure they hadn't stuck some bodyguard on him and to watch their daily routine.

"Hey", Joe says as he lets Frank in.

"So, you get it done?", Franks asks.

"Yep. The basement windows have been sealed and a new door put up. Complete with new locks and a deadbolt. Along with enough food and water down there to last for a few weeks", Joe affirms.

"You sure there ain't no nosy neighbors I'm going to have to worry about?", Frank inquires.

"Nah, everyone keeps to themselves and the houses aren't butted up right against each other so no one will hear a thing, unless it's gunshots. Even then they probably wouldn't say anything", Joe laughs as he hands Frank a piece of paper. "Here, I printed out the address and a map showing you how to get there."

Frank smiles, "Perfect. So, now all we have to do is figure out when to make our move. "

While Frank and Joe were hashing out the next move, Seth was hashing out with Ryan how to get out of Julie's fashion luncheon. Which Seth has just learned, from a phone call from Summer, is a fashion show in which he has been ordered to participate in along with her.

"Dude, we have to get out of this. I...I can't...I...dude, there is no way I can waltz down a runway wearing...", Seth pauses, looks around and then ends in a whisper, "...athletic gear".

Ryan laughs, "You're making it sound like Julie wants you to model jock straps."

"We may as well be. I will not wear shorts. No way, man. No way. Let the water polo guys do this.", Seth argues. "Come on, dude. Why are you so calm?" His eyes squint as he says, "Wait. You said "you". Why did you say "you" and not "us"? You don't have to do it, do you!", he finally exclaims.

Ryan looks at him innocently and says, "they didn't ask me."

"That makes no sense that they would ask me and not you. I don't do sports. Hence I do not do sports wear. Which, by the way, includes jock straps.", Seth says before finally saying, "Well, if you're not doing it, neither am I."

"I don't know, Seth. Your Grandpa might have something to say about that. He might insist you do your family duty. Julie is your Grandma after all", Ryan replies.

"Oh, that's low, man. Really low. You're family, too", Seth states. "Besides, brothers are supposed to stick together, remember. What if someone gets shot?"

"I'm pretty sure you won't have to worry about that, Seth", Ryan flatly states. "And I'm just your foster brother. I think Julie and Caleb will let it slide.", he says as he starts walking down the pier again.

Seth remains rooted in place. Not quite sure how he feels about what Ryan's just said. _Just your foster brother. _Maybe Ryan will never really feel a part of the family as long as that's true. Maybe he should talk to the 'rents about that. Decision made, he starts off after Ryan and they head home. Both unaware of another set of eyes on them.


	9. Chapter 9

Chapter Nine

Later that evening found the Cohens hosting dinner for the Nichols. It was an uneventful night, save for Seth trying desperately to get out of the fashion luncheon. Caleb could have cared less if he participated but Julie had insisted that she didn't have time to find anyone to replace him. Which Seth tried to solve for her with a jerk of his head in Ryan's direction. She smiled curtly and informed him that, since Ryan had so kindly helped Marissa, he was exempt from participating. Ryan had smiled smugly and then reminded Seth that even if Julie had let him out of it he probably wouldn't have gotten by Summer. Caleb watched the exchange with interest. Noting the brotherly interaction. He also noticed Ryan cast a few quick glances at him during the course of the meal.

After dinner, Caleb and Sandy retire to his office so Caleb can inform him of the latest developments with Frank. Before they could begin, there's a slight knock at the door. At Sandy's call to come in, Ryan steps through.

"Uh, sorry to interrupt but, uh, I just wanted to say thank you", he says hurriedly as he turns to Caleb. "I really appreciate your help with my...with my dad. I...I know it must be costing you a lot to have him tailed non-stop and after all the money Sandy and Kirsten have probably already paid, I...", Ryan rambles.

"Ryan", Sandy says, causing Ryan to turn to him. "We told you. We don't want you to worry about the money."

"But..."

"No buts. This isn't your fault", Sandy says.

"How can you say that? He's MY dad. How is this not my fault? He wouldn't have come here if it weren't for me", Ryan says with his voice rising.

"You're right. He wouldn't have but we chose to bring you into our lives, Ryan. Our choice. And we wouldn't change a thing", Sandy replies, placing a hand on his shoulder, looking him right in the eyes..

With a tilt of the head, Ryan puzzles over the comment and, meeting Sandy's gaze, realizes that he means it. Even after all the trouble he's caused.

Caleb again watches the exchange with interest. Seeing the confusion, then acceptance, wash over Ryan's face.

Sandy slides his hand up to grasp the back of Ryan's neck. He holds his gaze in an effort to make sure the kid gets it. "All right?", he asks.

Ryan gives a lopsided smile, ducks his head and nods. "Um, yeah, ok.", he says before turning back to Caleb. "Anything?", he asks tentatively.

Caleb looks at Ryan, trying to read the look on the boy's face. Is that hope? He clears his throat and then says, "I received an update moments before arriving for dinner and there has been no change to report."

Sandy also tries to read Ryan's face. Is that disappointment? "Ryan?...talk to me, son. You look a little disappointed."

Momentarily distracted by the word "son" coming out of Sandy's mouth while he was speaking to _him, _Ryan turns and starts to pace, trying to figure out how to say this. "I...", he starts and then stops. He sighs and then blurts out, "if he's going to do something I wish he'd just do it already. I...this waiting is driving me insane". He plops down on the couch.

Sandy's brow furrows. So, this is what Seth saw that night. He's never seen Ryan pace before and now the kid was sitting on the couch with his knee nervously bouncing up and down. It's disconcerting. Sandy sits beside him and stills the knee by placing his hand on it. "I know it's frustrating, kid. Why don't you let me talk with Caleb. I'm expecting the private detective I hired any minute and we'll compare notes and see if we can't figure something out. Ok?" At Ryan's skeptical look, he adds, "Trust us?"

Ryan studies him a moment. _Trust us. _They keep asking him to do that. He wants to trust them. He does trust them but he knows his dad. He can be a slippery bastard when he wants to be. He'd gotten away with countless crimes before he finally got caught. Finally, he sighs again and nods. "It's just...why would he settle so close if he wasn't planning anything? And he's not using hardly any of the money. Why? I...", he stops and glances back and forth between Caleb and Sandy. Then finally says quietly, "What if he tries something when I'm with Seth...or...or Kirsten?. I don't think I could stand it if anything happened to them because of me. If anything happened to _any_ of you."

Caleb is stricken at how young the boy looks as he utters those words. He's yanked back to two weeks ago when he saw a nearly identical worry emanating from his daughter's eyes as she knelt before him. The fear evident in his voice and in his face. Not only for himself but for his daughter and his grandson. He had been wrong about him. Dreadfully wrong. "You don't have to worry about that, Ryan. I...", he clears his throat again, "I have a man watching you", he admits.

Ryan and Sandy's heads both whip to his direction. "You have someone watching Ryan?", Sandy says through squinted eyes. "And you didn't tell me? Why?", he asks.

"Oh, come on, Sanford. I've never made it a secret that I don't trust the boy", he says before correcting, "Didn't trust the boy. When Kirsten approached me I wondered if that had been part of the plan all along. That Ryan and his father were working together. I had a man on Frank and one on Ryan in case he should disappear and hook up with his dad and then vanish with the money. I realize now that I was wrong."

"Damn right you were", Sandy is seething. "How dare you. I..."

"Sandy...", Ryan interrupts. He wasn't surprised. "It's ok. I, uh, I kind of feel better knowing that. Does it really matter why he did it?".

Sandy looks at Ryan and realizes he's right. He may have been doing it for the wrong reasons, but now that Sandy thought about it, what the hell was he getting so pissed off about. Because it was Caleb, that's why. It was a good thing that someone was keeping a close eye on Ryan. He should have thought of it. Or hired a bodyguard. Especially with Ryan being so uneasy, waiting for something to happen. Hiring someone would have eased his mind. "No. No I guess it doesn't."

"I can pull my tail off of Ryan and replace him with a bodyguard, if that's what you prefer", Caleb offers as he turns to Ryan. "It might be better to have someone with you at all times", he explains.

Transgression forgotten for the time being, Sandy says, "I think that's a good idea, Cal. Do that."

Ryan blinks. A bodyguard. Is this really his life right now? He's getting a bodyguard. To protect him from his dad.

"Ryan? You ok with this?", Sandy asks, turning his attention solely to him.

"Uh, yeah. I guess. Whatever you think is best", he answers. Suddenly thinking what a field day Seth is going to have with this. He can just hear the Kevin Costner/Whitney Houston jokes now.

"Ok. Why don't you go on and we'll work out the details. I'll fill you all in as soon as...all of our men have checked in", Sandy suggests.

Ryan nods and leaves the room. As he goes back downstairs, the doorbell rings and Kirsten lets in the private investigator. Mark, he thinks his name is. He watches as he enters Sandy's office and sighs. He hopes this is over soon somehow.

In Sandy's office, Mark relates his latest findings. "On the surface, things seemed to be going the same as usual. With Frank frequenting the bar during several days of the week and the strip club in the evening hours. However, today I decided to go to the bar and check things out. I know you have a man on him, sir, but I don't like to put all my eggs in one basket so I decided to observe your man's technique", he says as he turns to Caleb. "The first week and a half or so, he followed Frank into both establishments. He seemed to be taking great care in getting an up close look at who he was associating with. I was pleased at that. So I assumed I was leaving it in good hands."

"Of course it's in good hands. He's done a lot of work for me. I have the utmost faith in his abilities", Caleb indignantly states.

"Well, you should rethink that because today when I went to the bar, he was parked across the street rather than going inside. On a whim, I decided to place myself at the rear of the bar, where I thought perhaps he may have placed a second man. That did not appear to be so. No sooner did I place myself in position when Mr. Atwood exited out the back door. He walked on foot a few blocks and then hot wired a car. I followed him to a room at the Budget Inn belonging to a Joe Winters. Another ex-con. He stayed no longer than thirty minutes and returned to the bar, having dumped the car a block away. Your man hadn't budged.", Mark finishes.

Flustered, Caleb grasped at straws, "Impossible. I'm sure my man had someone watching the rear, or perhaps had someone else inside...". He knew it wasn't true. The truth is, he hadn't impressed upon the man that Frank Atwood was so dangerous as not to let him out of his sight. He had merely told him to keep an eye on him and watch out for the boy. He was so sure that Ryan was involved, and knowing that he had another man on Ryan, he wasn't too worried. He hadn't really thought his family was in danger from the man. He figured Ryan would disappear and meet up with Frank and he'd have men there to catch him in the act and would prove to Kirsten that he was right all along.

"_Call your man off...my man's better_...", Sandy sarcastically sneered. "I can't believe I trusted you with this. Hell, _Ryan_ trusts you with this. You smug bastard", he says coming to a realization. "You put a man on Ryan because it was him that you were more worried about. You wanted so desperately to prove you were right. Frank could have disappeared into the night, and we'd have no idea where he was or what he was up to, and _your man _wouldn't have had a clue! You son of a bitch...", Sandy yells as he grabs Caleb by the collar.

"Gentlemen!", Mark yells. "I suggest you save that for later and we get back to the matter at hand?"

Sandy deflates. "You're right. You're right. What have you got?", he says after throwing one last disgusted glance at Caleb, who straightens his shirt and tie and nods in ascent.

"Ok. After following Mr. Atwood back to the bar, he stayed roughly a half an hour longer and then left, with your man on his tail. I left him to it and went back to this Winter's room and watched his movements while I had my assistant run a check on him. Not much to report as far as his movement. He went to a liquor store and purchased a bottle and a pack of cigarettes and returned to the room. Which is where he still was when I left him to come here. I stopped by my office to pick up what my assistant was able to dig up so far. As I said, he's an ex-con, as well. Burglaries and assault. He's been out about a year and a half", he states as he passed Sandy a picture.

"Birds of a feather", he states as he passes the picture to Caleb.

"From the little bit of information she was able to gather so far, we believe that they met in Fresno, right after Mr. Atwood was released from prison. There's no indication that their association goes beyond that. Mr. Winters served time his time elsewhere and relocated to Fresno after Mr. Atwood had begun to serve his time. I had already been researching Mr. Atwood's past associations and his movements right from his release up until now and Mr. Winters did not turn up in any of my inquiries. My guess is that they met shortly after Mr. Atwood was released from prison and only contacted him after he got the money because by all accounts Mr. Winters remained in Fresno until very recently. The fact that Mr. Atwood was aware of the tail does not surprise me really. A man with half a brain would suspect that one paying out that sum of money would want to insure that the conditions were being followed. His actively eluding the tail and seeking out a meeting with this man in such a covert manner tells me that he is indeed about to step things up", he finishes.

With that, the Cohens were on full alert. Caleb had sheepishly conceded that he had dropped the ball and insisted to both Sandy and Kirsten that he realized how wrong he was about the boy. Understanding their reluctance to rely on his people anymore, he agreed to pull his men off the case and Mark took over the surveillance of Frank and recommended a bodyguard for Ryan. However, Caleb insisted on having a couple of bodyguards on call for when Kirsten or Seth ventured out alone. When the family was all together, they figured the one bodyguard was sufficient but they decided they did not want Seth and Kirsten to be vulnerable when they were alone in case Frank decided to go after one of them in some way if he couldn't get to Ryan. Each one would relay their plans for the day and if Seth or Kirsten parted from the rest of the family then the other guards would be called in and would escort them. They, once again, fell into a routine. One that a very unhappy Frank Atwood was aware of. These people were really beginning to piss him off.


	10. Chapter 10

**Hey, I managed to squeeze out another one today... **

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Chapter Ten

The next few days had gone by quietly. Mark had assigned a man to Joe Winters while he handled Frank, whose movements had grown stale again. Simply frequenting the bar and the strip club. Otherwise staying in and ordering fast food or having some buddies over. Mark documented the plates of each visitor to have them checked out. His other man informed him of Joe's movements. He'd been making frequent trips to Newport and had clearly been following the Cohens plus one. When the Cohen clan split up, he split his time between them. Sometimes sticking with Ryan and his bodyguard and sometimes with the Cohen, or Cohens, in question. Mark had informed Sandy of this and Sandy made sure everyone knew to stick to the procedure and that no one was to go out alone, or without a bodyguard.

Having a bodyguard dog your every move took some getting used to. Especially for someone who liked their privacy, like Ryan. However, after a while he'd forget the guy was there. Except when he was out and had to use a public restroom. The guy would stop Ryan, step in front of him and then lead him inside. Then he'd check all of the stalls and then he'd guard the door. That was weird, and very embarrassing when someone else was in the restroom at the same time. Most would scurry out, though. Seth had not let him down on the "The Bodyguard" jokes. He was relentless and Ryan was _this_ close to punching him in the mouth. It didn't matter that Seth, too, had a bodyguard when he went out. That's ok. Ryan had ways of getting even.

Now, here they were on the day of the luncheon and Sandy, Kirsten and Caleb were preparing to head out. They were awaiting their bodyguard. Seth had already left with Summer and Julie, with his bodyguard in tow, because they had to be there early to prepare for the fashion show. As satisfying as it would have been to see Seth do his little turn on the catwalk, Ryan was really looking forward to a nice quiet afternoon alone. Well, as alone as he could get these days. The truth is, as weird as it was having a bodyguard, he did find it easier to relax now that he had one. He'd let go of some of the anxiety, knowing that he didn't have to be ever vigilant and knowing that Kirsten and Seth were also protected was a huge weight off of his shoulders. So, things were catching up to him a bit and he just wanted to be able to enjoy the peace and quiet. Besides, Sandy promised to video tape Seth's foray into modeling with his phone.

Sandy called Mark to make sure they had Frank and this Joe character accounted for and then turned to Ryan's bodyguard and gave him last minute instructions. Letting him know where they would be and how long they'd be gone. The other bodyguard arrived shortly thereafter and Sandy stepped up to Ryan and placed his hand on his shoulder. Giving it a squeeze, he asked, "you gonna be ok here by yourself?".

"I'm not by myself", he says with a jerk of his head in Alan, his bodyguard's direction. Right on cue, Whitney Houston's voice started emanating from Ryan's cell phone_...and I will alwaaaays looove you-ooo-oooo. _The bodyguards chuckled as Ryan groans and let his head fall forward onto Sandy's chest. Sandy's heart skipped a beat at the innocent gesture. Ryan had never done anything like that before. It was such an uninhibited thing for him to do. Sandy swallowed hard, moved his other hand to the back of Ryan's neck and pulled him a little closer. "He just doesn't know when to quit, does he?", he says of Seth. He closes his eyes and thinks how fortunate he is in that moment that he doesn't.

Ryan allows the sort of hug for a moment before sheepishly pulling away. "Yeah, well. He'll get his", he says with a wink.

Sandy's eyebrows raise, "You've got something planned already?".

Ryan smiles wide, "Already executed. Just need to wait for the payoff."

Sandy laughs, gives him one more squeeze on the shoulder and they take their leave.

In Santa Ana, Frank Atwood was preparing to take his leave. His patience had run out. The Cohens were about to see just what he could do. Now, all he and Joe had to do was lose the tail. Make that "tails". Joe had informed him that during one of his recons to Newport, he'd caught sight of a car and driver that he could have sworn he'd just seen in Santa Ana. It could have been a coincidence but he didn't believe in coincidences. And neither did Frank. Between that and the bodyguard being added to the kid, never leaving him alone for a second, he'd had enough of this shit. There was a new guy tailing him. He was better than the last guy. Much harder to spot but eventually he did. He was going to be hard to lose. He'd come up with a plan, though. One that should make it possible to lose both tails. He'd already shared it with Joe and they'd laid the groundwork. All they had to do now was put it in motion.

Hopping in his car, Frank drove over to Joe's motel. He went inside for a moment. Mark had followed him over and, seeing him pull into the motel parking lot, he parked in a lot a block down the street. Noticing the man he'd had trailing Joe, a guy named Tom, parked nearer the motel, on the street. He was a little concerned that Frank wasn't trying to hide his interaction with Joe this time. He'd never seen them meet out in the open like this. There was a chance that he noticed that Caleb's man was gone and figured the tail had been pulled off of him but Mark somehow didn't think that was the case. Eventually both men came out. They got into Frank's car and headed out. As Mark drove by Tom, he gave him a nod indicating that he'd take it from here. He followed behind at a distance. They drove to a small gas station/convenient store and pulled up to the gas pump. Having to hang back some distance to keep from being spotted, Mark pulled into a lot a little ways down the street, making sure he had full view of the station's front and rear entrances. Frank pumped the gas while Joe went inside, to pay presumably. Eventually, Frank finished and Joe had yet to come out. Frank went inside as well. Mark kept a close eye on the rear of the store. He began to get a little nervous when they didn't exit from either door. Just as he was about to pull out and take a closer look, they both came out the front door. Frank looking down scratching a lottery ticket and Joe opening a pack of cigarettes. They hopped back into the car and pulled out. Mark follows them as they get onto the freeway. He calls Sandy to tell him that they're on the move but tells him they're heading north, away from Newport, so there shouldn't be anything to worry about at the moment and that he'd keep him posted.

The only problem was that Mark wasn't following Frank and Joe anymore. Frank had spent the past two days in the bar or the strip club, scoping out someone he felt could pass for him at a distance. When he found a suitable person he offered him $500 to meet him at the gas station, wearing a matching dark t-shirt and blue jeans. He informed Joe to do the same, and find someone who could pass for him. He'd given Joe $500 to flash to whomever he found as incentive as well. They'd told the two men that the P.I. was hired by Frank's wife in an effort to catch him cheating on her. They were more than happy to lead the guy on a wild goose chase. Once they arrived at the convenient store and had gone inside, Joe gave his red flannel outer shirt to the guy he found, as well as his ball cap. He figured that would help to hide his face as he exited the store. Frank, too, had given his guy his blue outer shirt and had him buy the lottery ticket so he'd have an excuse to be looking down to obscure his face. The gas station/store was small, as was the parking lot. So it would have been hard to go unnoticed if you pulled into the lot. So he'd hoped that the tail wouldn't risk it and would hang back far enough for this to work. He smiled as he saw the car pulling out and following his. He and Joe then slipped out and hot wired one of the cars belonging to the fools they had leading Mark away. They headed in the opposite direction. Straight for Newport.

Seth was trying to psyche himself up for the runway when Right Said Fred could be heard emanating from his phone. His mouth fell open. Ryan was so dead. He answered, "Dude, that is...that is...I...oh, man. You are so dead. You just wait. I'll get you my pretty, and your little dog, too. You'll see..."

"Cohen! What is wrong with you? Get off the phone. We're up next", Summer said as she smacked him in the arm and shoved him towards the stage.

Sandy, Kirsten and Caleb were seated at their table. "There he is. He looks so handsome", Kirsten said with a smile as Seth and Summer walked down the runway. "Thank god Summer's with him. He looks like he's ready to walk right off the catwalk and out the door", she chuckles. Not getting a reply from Sandy, she turns to him and asks, "Sandy? Did you hear me? Is everything all right?".

"What? Oh, yeah. Sorry honey. No. Everything is fine", he reassures and turns his attention to the runway.

Caleb leans over and whispers, "Sanford?".

Sandy leans towards him and tells him what Mark told him in the phone call he had moments earlier. Caleb tells him that Mark probably has things under control and that he's sure every thing will be all right. Sandy nods. "I'm sure you're right. He did say they were heading away from Newport but, regardless, I want to leave here as soon as Seth is done.", he states. Caleb nods back and they turn their attention back to the stage.

Ryan's in the kitchen fixing himself his own lunch. He offers Alan something but the guy says nothing. They never say anything except when they're receiving orders. He guessed it was to keep them focused on the job and maybe they felt it was easier for the people they were guarding to forget they're there. He had to admit. It worked. Most of the time he forgot the guy was there. He shrugged and went about making his sandwich, getting a drink and then going into the family room to watch some tv. Enjoying the fact that he didn't have to fight with Seth about what to watch. He chuckled, thinking about the ring tone he put on his phone. Wait until he hears the one he managed to put on Summer's. Maybe he'd call it now.

Seth and Summer had just finished their last walk down the runway, in matching tennis outfits. He had to admit, Summer looked extra cute but he was still going to have to get his hands on his dad's phone long enough to erase any and all video that may have been taken. Just as they're walking up to a smiling Sandy and Kirsten, followed by Caleb, who were approaching them back stage, Summer's cell phone rings. _No. No way_, Seth thinks. _He did not...I...that's vicious. That's just downright cruel._

"What the shit is this? Cohen? Did you do this?", Summer demands to know.

"Hey, I remember that song. I used to sing that to you, honey", Sandy exclaims. "Some people call me the space cowboy...", he says with a waggle of his eyebrows. "Some call me the gangster of looooove".

Seth clamps a hand over his dad's mouth. "Stop. Please. For the love of me. Stop. And don't ever sing that song again."

"Atwood? What the hell are you calling me for instead of Seth?", Summer asks. She listens for a moment and then smiles, "Noooo.", she begins to laugh. "That is twisted. I didn't think ya had it in ya...Good to know", she manages to say before Seth wrests the phone from her hands.

"You suck, dude. You suck so hard. Paybacks are a bitch you know...yeah, well, I'll pay you back handsomely for this payback of yours and my payback is going to put your payback to shame. You just wait", he harrumphs into the phone. "You play dirty, dude".

"Don't mess with an Atwood", Ryan says with a smile as he hangs up.

Seth stands there staring at the phone, shaking his head. Oblivious to Kirsten's reprimands about his language. Caleb grins at the antics. Admiring the easy family dynamic. A family that includes Ryan.

The doorbell rings at the Cohen house. Alan is instantly alert. He asks Ryan if he's expecting anyone. Ryan says no. Alan keeps the door closed and asks who it is. The voice says they have a delivery for a Kirsten Cohen. Alan asks Ryan, who has now walked into the foyer, if Kirsten is expecting anything. Ryan says he isn't aware of anything unless she ordered something else for his room. She kept doing that ever since he moved into the house. Alan, not wanting to take any chances, pulls his weapon and holds it at his side as he motions for Ryan to step further back. Alan unlocks the door and opens it...to the barrel of a gun in the hand of Frank Atwood. Before he can react at all, Frank pulls the trigger at point blank range.

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**muwahahahaha. Yep, Frank is done playing games. I decided it was time for a little Ryan whumping. Along with some Cohen fretting. **

**So, yeah, rosebud, a pissed off Frank is not a good thing;) And, Krabby Patty, sorry to burst your "the good guys are always a step ahead" bubble. I felt it was time Frank got the upper hand for real. Again I say, muwahahahahaha.**

** Oh, and, as for the way I got around the tail(s). Yeah, probably not too plausible but I had to find some way for Frank and Joe to elude Mark. I think I'd made Mark a little too sharp, so it may be pretty implausible for him to call off his other guy in order for him to fall for this trick (or that he'd fall for it at all), but, again, I had to get Frank and Joe away from all those eyes and this was all I could come up with. Hope it doesn't detract from the story too much. **


	11. Chapter 11

Chapter Eleven

Mark has been following Frank's car for about 45 minutes and some thing's not right. He feels like they have no destination in mind. Just taking random turns. He decides to pull closer, while he calls Alan. His heart drops when it reaches the third ring with no answer. Making a split decision, he calls the police to request they send a squad car over to check out the Cohen residence.

Everything goes in slow motion. The gunshot...the blood splatter...Alan falling...the pool of blood forming beneath his head. Ryan is momentarily mesmerized by the red against the shiny floor. He's shaken out of his daze by the ringing of Alan's cell phone. His eyes whip up and he and his father lock eyes for a second before Ryan turns and bolts towards the kitchen and the back door. Frank leaps over the body and is right on his heels. Ryan turns the corner and grabs the cordless phone as he makes for the door. He's midway across, having called 911 by hitting speed dial #1, when he's tackled from behind, knocking him into the kitchen chairs. A voice comes over the phone asking what the emergency is but Ryan is unable to answer. He's a little dazed from the collision with the chairs but tries desperately to scramble away from Frank, who pulls him back. Frank grabs his shoulder and turns him over as Ryan tries to bring the phone up and slam him in the head. Frank back hands him and wrenches the phone from his hand. Ryan's eyes again lock with his dad's. "NO, DAD!!!", he yells as Frank delivers a devastating blow with the butt of his gun and he's rendered unconscious. Frank disconnects the call and throws the phone across the room.

Joe is suddenly there ranting and raving, "What the fuck, man? Jesus Christ, dude, anyone could have heard that gun shot. You couldn't wait until you got inside? Fuck! And you didn't say anything about killing nobody. I didn't sign on to be part of no murder!"

Frank calmly stands up and says, "You're a part of one now. Go open the garage so we can load the kid inside the van. We gotta move. The little bastard called 911. We don't have much time."

Joe says, "my prints are...I gotta..."

"I'll take care of the prints. Get the fucking van", Franks snarls with a fixed glare. For show, he grabs a towel from the counter and follows Joe to the door to the garage. He wipes off the knob and the garage door opener after Joe pushes it to open the door.

Joe does as he's told. He walks quickly out to van they stole when they got to Newport and backs it in closer to the garage. They figured they needed something newer than the piece of shit they stole from the gas station. Something that wouldn't stick out in these neighborhoods.

Once Joe's out, Frank drops the towel on the floor. He doesn't give a shit about the prints. Stupid fucking kid already said "dad". He was sure the person on the other end of the phone heard that loud and clear. Shit. He hefted Ryan onto his shoulder and they throw him in the van and they drive away, taking care not to draw attention to themselves.

"You take care of my prints on the front door?", Joe worriedly inquires as two cop cars, with lights blazing and sirens blaring, speed by them going in the opposite direction.

"Your prints won't be a problem", Frank simply states. This has all gone to shit. The cops were going to be on them much sooner than he expected and that stupid fucking kid shouted to the world that it was him. He looks down at Ryan's still form and kicks him in the side. He always was a pain in the ass.

"My fee just went up, Atwood. This shit's gonna cost you", Joe snarls.

Something flickers in Frank's eyes before he realizes that he hasn't even had time to get his fucking money out of the bank. Joe's not going to see one red cent. Of course, he never planned to pay him anyway. Hell, he doesn't even know if he'll be able to get any of it now. Fuck.

Mark had called Sandy after he called the cops. Saying that he was still following "Frank" and "Joe" but that something felt wrong. That he'd felt like he was being led in circles. He informed him of the lack of response when he called Alan and of his call to the police requesting that a squad car respond to their address pronto. He was still talking to Sandy, saying that maybe Frank had gotten someone else to go after Ryan and was leading him on this wild goose chase to give them time, when he decided to speed up and overtake the car. As he pulled up alongside he glanced over and his gut rolled. "Shit. It's not them. They're decoys. Jesus, Sandy, I'm sorry. I...", he says as he's greeted with a dial tone. He slams his hand on the steering wheel, disgusted with himself for making such a costly mistake, and then motions for the men to pull over. He'll have to hold them until the cops can get there and they can haul them in for questioning.

Sandy didn't need to hear any more. He was off and running for the car with Seth on his heels.

Kirsten had been growing increasingly panicked. The color had drained from Sandy's face when Mark told him that Alan hadn't answered his phone. He had hurriedly told Kirsten to call home and told Seth to call Ryan's cell. The cell went right to voice mail. Ryan had turned it off because of the annoying ring tone. Kirsten was greeted with a busy signal at first and then it rang and rang and rang. Then, Sandy clenched his eyes closed briefly before snapping his phone shut and taking off at a dead run with Seth right behind. Caleb had grabbed her arm and told her to ride with him.

Sandy's hands tightly gripped the wheel as he told Seth to call the police. Mark had said he'd already called but he wanted Seth to call again. Seth explained the situation and then listened a moment before hanging up. "They got a 911 call from there, dad. Just, like, a few minutes ago. They have units on the way", Seth said, then taking a shaky breath. Sandy steps on the gas pedal harder. They ride in silence the rest of the way there, each lost in their own terrifying thoughts.

They pull onto their street to find it cordoned off, cop cars everywhere. Sandy closes his eyes and swallows the rising bile as he tries to pull himself together enough to get out of the car. Seth, though, immediately jumps out and is running for the house. He's stopped by a police officer and he grows increasingly agitated that they won't let him pass, "MY BROTHER'S IN THERE!!!!!...please, I have to go. I have to get in there!", Seth cries as he struggles to get by them. Suddenly Sandy is there trying to calm him. Seth quiets and Sandy tries to get some answers. They're told that when the police arrived on the scene the garage door was open. Officers entered through the garage and they found signs of a struggle in the kitchen and discovered the body of one Alan Mitchell in the foyer, dead of a gunshot wound to the head. After a sweep of the house, they found it to be absent of any other occupants and that the crime scene is now being processed so they will not be allowed in. Sandy and Seth are stricken, trying to digest the information when Caleb and Kirsten arrive.

Kirsten runs to Sandy and asks, "Sandy?". Her voice is a mixture of hope and fear. Caleb comes to stand behind her, placing his hands on her shoulders as an offer of support.

Sandy looks at her, anguish clear in his face, "They have him" is all he says as Kirsten collapses in his arms. "Oh. No. No, Sandy. Noo!", she cries as she dissolves into tears. He holds her tightly as he fights to hold onto his composure. "We told him to trust us", she says quietly. "We told him to trust us".


	12. Chapter 12

Chapter Twelve

The first thing Ryan was aware of was that his head hurt. A lot. The second thing that Ryan was aware of was that he felt sick to his stomach. The third thing Ryan was aware of were voices...

"...just get to the house and lay low while we figure out our next move"...

Ryan knew that voice. His breath catches and he suppresses a groan as he realizes who he's with and how he got here. Wherever here was. They were moving, he knew that much, and it wasn't doing his stomach any good.

"Our next move?! I'll tell you our next move! YOU are going to pay me my fucking money and then I'm going to get the hell outa dodge."

Ryan didn't know that voice. What did Mark say that guy's name was? Jeff? John? It was definitely a "J" name...

"You'll get what's coming to you, Joe. Relax", Frank says with a growl. "Right now we've got to ditch this fucking van".

Joe. That's it. Knew it was a "J" name. The next thing Ryan was aware of...was that he was about to be sick. He wasn't able to suppress the groan this time as he rolls over and empties his stomach. Suddenly, he was moving. Not moving as in being in a car and moving but physically moving. And he wasn't doing it. Not good.

"You little shit!", came the dulcet tones of his dad's voice as he was roughly shoved to the side of the car. No, too much space to be a car. A van. They were in a van. He felt the car...no, van, go over a bump. Then it came to a stop. Jeff...no, Joe. Damn, his head was fuzzy. He hears Joe still going on about being paid as he exits the car. Van. The car van. They should make a car that's a cross between a car and a van. Wait. Car. Van. Car-a-van. Caravan. Huh. Is that what they meant by that?

Joe's gone for a few seconds, or minutes, he can't really tell which, and then the back doors of the van open and he's picked up and shoved at Joe, who slings him over his shoulder. Which, really, is not a good idea to do with someone whose stomach is not cooperating. He's then not so gently deposited in the trunk of a car. His breathing picks up. He can't do a trunk. "No", he whispers as he weakly tries to keep the trunk from closing. It slams closed. He tries not to panic and tries desperately not to be sick but between his throbbing head, the moving of the car, and the mixture of exhaust and gas fumes it's a losing battle.

He has no idea how long they've been driving. He's been drifting in and out of consciousness. They finally come to a stop and he hears muffled voices and then the trunk flings open. He squints his eyes to the light and sees his dad's hands reaching for him. He groans as he's pulled roughly out of the trunk. He's shoved toward the side door of a house and tries to keep himself upright, hearing an irritated grunt from his father every time he stumbles and is then pushed along. He trips going in the door and falls to the ground. His father reaches down and grabs his arm and drags him further in and then leaves him where he lay.

"You've always been more trouble than you're worth, you little bastard. I should have just taken the money and run", he hears Frank grumble. His thoughts uncontrollably drift to Seth. The SMP. Yep. Shoulda stuck to the SMP. That would have been good. A wildly inappropriate snort escapes him and suddenly he's being lifted again. He feels himself being grabbed by the throat and slammed up against a wall. He can't focus and he feels the hand constrict a little. "You think this is funny, boy?". He's staring directly into his dad's blue eyes. Not warm like Sandy's. They're cold and hard. Like Caleb's. Caleb looks at him like that. Looked at him like that. Not so much lately. His jumbled thoughts are startled back to the man in front of him as he feels the grip tighten, restricting his air flow. He frantically starts to claw at his dad's hand in an effort to pull it free. Dots start to dance in front of his eyes and he thinks "_this is it. I'm going to die_" but suddenly his dad releases his grip and Ryan drops to the floor gasping for air.

"Put him in the basement before I kill him", he hears Frank say to Joe and, once again, he's being lifted. Once down in the basement, Joe sets him down, leaning him against the back wall. Ryan's head lolls a bit as he tries to get a look around. It's not a large basement. He can see the full door at the top of the stairs from this back wall. He turns and sees a boarded up window up high, off to the right. To the left of him is a pile of food and some bottled water. Shit. Looks like he's going to be here a while. Movement catches his attention. He sees Joe turn around and start up the stairs as his father's form fills the doorway. Joe's halfway up the stairs when he see his dad's hand lift and, for the second time in a day, he thinks its only been a day, he sees Frank kill a man. He sees Joe's body flinch as the bullet hits him and he falls backward and down the stairs. Landing two feet in front of Ryan. His eyes rest on him for a moment before drifting up to the top of the stairs. Again, he and his dad lock eyes before he hears Frank say with a grin, "thought you'd like some company" and then close the door. He's plunged into darkness. He is so screwed. He closes his eyes and wraps his arms around himself. One thought going through his aching head. "_I want to go home_".

The Cooper-Nichol home is quiet. Quieter. There are still police detectives milling around occasionally asking questions. Questions about Frank and about Ryan. They had an APB out on Frank and Joe. As well as the van. A security camera at the entrance gate of their community captured the van entering and exiting, giving a clear picture of Joe driving and letting them know that, from start to finish, the abduction took all of about five minutes. It also let them know that, frustratingly, they barely missed them. The detectives informed them that in the video of them exiting the community neither Frank nor Ryan could be seen. They assumed that they were both in the back of the van. In an effort to comfort the Cohens, the detective had pointed out that Ryan was alive and that if Frank had wanted him dead they'd have found two corpses in their home. Sandy and Kirsten simply nodded in a daze. Caleb watched Kirsten. She was devastated. He couldn't imagine her being any more upset if it were Seth that was missing. Seth. Seth was quiet. More quiet than he'd ever seen the boy.

An officer enters and informs the detectives that the crime scene investigators are finished and that it would be all right to allow the family back in but that they should have someone clean it up first. This news sparks some life into Seth and Caleb watches as he silently rises and walks out the door. Sandy and Kirsten are again talking to the detectives so Caleb follows. He contemplates stopping the boy but Seth seems determined. This is something he feels he has to do. He follows as Seth ducks under the crime scene tape and makes his way into his house. Seth pauses just inside the doorway and looks down at the blood on the floor and then moves toward the kitchen. Caleb momentarily pauses as well, thanking God that it was a only a bodyguard and that Seth or Kirsten, and even Sandy, weren't home. He steps over the puddle and walks into the kitchen. Seth has stopped cold at what he assumes is Ryan's blood. Caleb reaches out and rests his hand on his back.

"Dad, what are you doing? How could you let him come in here?", Kirsten demands, as she and Sandy rush in, visibly upset.

Before Caleb can speak, they hear Seth's soft voice, "I wanted to see.".

Sandy steps forward, "Seth..."

"No, dad. I wanted to see. The least I can do is _see"_, he says. His pained eyes suddenly fill with tears. "He's my brother. My best friend. We have to find him, dad, we have to find him", as Sandy pulls him close. Kirsten, crying again now, too, steps in and joins the embrace. Caleb watches in silence as all three Cohens huddle together in their kitchen.


	13. Chapter 13

Chapter Thirteen

Sandy, Kirsten and Seth are no longer huddled in the middle of the their kitchen but now sitting at the table in the Cooper-Nichols kitchen. Caleb had ushered them back to his house so that he could have someone come out and clean up theirs. It's dark now and there's been no word on Ryan. They'd found the van abandoned in a parking lot behind a small business, where another car was reported stolen. The police issued a new APB on the vehicle and Frank's and Joe's mugshots were all over the news being listed as armed and dangerous, in conjunction with the Amber alert the FBI had issued on Ryan. An agent, Jason Cook, carefully informed them of the condition of the van. Stating that vomit and a small amount of blood was found in the vehicle, possibly an indication that Ryan could have suffered a concussion. Kirsten had closed her eyes and gripped Sandy's hand tightly. While comforted that the blood was minimal and it appeared that Ryan was not seriously wounded, the thought of him being in pain and all alone with those men, one of whom was a murderer, tore at their hearts. Over at their home, the agents had set up equipment to record phone calls in case they were contacted by Frank. The agents had put a hold on his bank account, citing that it was illegally gained through extortion, in an effort to cut off access to money in order to make it more difficult for them to move around easily. They felt Frank might get sloppy if he had to resort to seeking funds by illegal means. They'd already gotten sloppy. Their prints were in the house, and all over the van. The FBI also thought a lack of access to the extorted money might force Frank to resort to demanding more and asking for a ransom, but Sandy didn't think that would happen. Frank's proven that he doesn't let anything, or anyone, get in his way. He wouldn't let a little thing like no money stop him, and he knew in his heart that this wasn't ultimately about money for Frank. It was about possession. Ryan belonged to him in his eyes. What Sandy worried about was Frank taking his inability to access his money out on Ryan. He also feared Frank deciding he no longer needed him. He didn't believe Frank really wanted Ryan. He only wanted to take him from them. The police had pointed out that if Frank merely wanted Ryan dead, he'd have killed him in the house, and Sandy wanted to believe that was true but he feared that once Frank had him away from them he'd realize that he had no further use for him. He shuddered at the thought.

"Sandy?", Kirsten asked with concern.

"I'm all right", he says.

"No you're not. None of us are and we won't be until we bring Ryan home", Kirsten softly says. They have to bring him home. She can't imagine any other outcome. Ryan has become an integral part of the Cohen family puzzle. A piece they hadn't even realized they were missing until the blue eyed boy with the shy smile quietly walked into their lives.

Sandy gives her hand a squeeze and says, "You're right. We'll find him. We'll find him." He refused to think otherwise. He turns to look at Seth. He's sitting quietly, body slightly bouncing and, without actually being able to see it under the table, he knows Seth's knee is bouncing up and down nervously. He thinks back to Ryan in his office, exhibiting the same nervous gesture. His stomach clenches at the memory of the clear fear etched on his face. Fear that was undeniably appropriate. He thinks back to Ryan's words, _"if he's going to do something I wish he'd just do it already_". Oh, kid. We let ya down. We promised to keep you safe. Kirsten was right. He had vastly underestimated Frank Atwood.

"We've got something", a voice shouts out. All three Cohens rush into the family room. "We got a ping on his cell phone". They had been periodically trying to track Ryan's cell phone since they realized it wasn't in the house but all they could get was "unable to locate". They assumed that the phone was still turned off. Sandy had relayed that he saw Ryan turn it off just before they left for the luncheon so he wouldn't have to listen to the ring tone Seth had downloaded to it, and Seth told them that it went straight to voice mail when they first realized something was wrong and tried to call him. Seth had wondered why, if Ryan had his phone, he didn't call for help but was reminded that he had a possible concussion and may be disoriented, or he simply hadn't had the chance to do so where Frank or Joe wouldn't see. So, they'd set up a regular interval on the cell phone company's website, using an option they called "safety checks", where you could keep tabs on your child to make sure they were where they were supposed to be. The website would make periodic checks to try to locate the phone. They also turned off the text messaging option that normally accompanies the attempts to locate someone. They didn't want to put Ryan in jeopardy if he did turn the phone on, or if it was Frank or Joe that had the phone, by having a text message go through and alerting his captors that the phone was being tracked.

"So you know where he is?", Seth asked hopefully.

"Not exactly", the tech replied.

"What do you mean, not exactly?", Sandy frustratingly asks.

At all three Cohens narrowed eyes, the tech tries to explain. "Under prime conditions GPS can track a phone with an accuracy within 3 feet but there are many variables that can affect the ability to do that. Weather, being deep inside a building, being underground...if the GPS unit cannot "see" the satellite then it resorts to other protocol. Which, unfortunately, means a much wider location radius."

"And how wide are we talking with Ryan?", Sandy asks.

The tech sighs before pointing Sandy's attention to the map on the computer screen. "Location is registering a 3.1 mile radius, which, pretty much includes the whole of El Cerrito, where the ping is registering".

"3 miles! That's like trying to find a needle in a haystack. He could be anywhere...in any one of those houses and buildings!", Seth yells.

"Seth", Kirsten says calmly as she runs a hand up and down his arm. "This is good news. We have a starting place now, as opposed to just flying completely blind."

Seth frowns, "But, we don't even know if it's Ryan that has the phone. What if they found it on him and tossed it out and someone else found it? We could be looking in the completely wrong place while that pig is taking him further and further away!"

Kirsten blinks. He's right. They have no idea if it is Ryan.

"You could be right", Agent Cook interrupts. "That's why we won't have everyone looking there. We'll keep men here to monitor the phones and continue to put feelers out in other directions. We won't put all of our eggs in this one basket." He calls and arranges a command post to be set up in El Cerrito and then continues, "It sounds like a large area to search, and it is, but we'll have the local news there put the information out on the airwaves heavily and we might get lucky and have someone who recalls seeing either man, or the car, call in a tip or we might locate the stolen vehicle ourselves."

"I'm coming", Sandy and Kirsten state in unison.

Agent Cook holds up his hand. "I know you all want to find him but we're going to need one of you...", he says as he looks to Sandy and Kirsten, "to remain here in case there is a ransom demand."

"There won't be a ransom demand", Sandy firmly states. "This isn't about money for Frank. It's about Ryan."

"Are you willing to take the chance that you're wrong?", Agent Cook asks.

Sandy pauses and looks to Kirsten. Something in his gut telling him he needed to go. He knows Kirsten would want to be there if they...no, when they find Ryan, and if they both go, there's no way Seth is staying behind.

Seeing the inner struggle on Sandy's face, Caleb's voice comes out of nowhere as he offers to stay and deal with Frank should he call. "I'll stay. If he does get that desperate, I doubt he'll care who he talks to as long as he gets his money and, besides, isn't there a way to patch a call through to you, Agent Cook?"

Before the agent could respond, Right Said Fred emanates from Seth's cell phone.

"I am so stupid", Ryan thought. He'd had his phone all this time but had only just now discovered it in his pocket. He had drifted off for a bit after his dad locked him down there. He had no idea for how long. He was disoriented when he first came to, not remembering where he was, why it was so dark, or why his head hurt so much. He stood up, using the wall as support and tried to feel around the room. It was too big to be the closet, so he wasn't in Fresno. They had a basement in Chino. He called out into the dark for Trey, figuring that the only time he remembered being locked in somewhere was when he was living with Dawn, and Trey was usually nearby. He hadn't remembered going back to Dawn, though, and wasn't Trey still locked up?

Eventually, something clicked and it all started coming together for him. He then remembered his dad's voice saying, _"put him in the basement before I kill him_", followed shortly after with, "_just thought you'd like some company". _Ryan had briefly panicked at the realization that, out there in the dark somewhere, was a dead body. He retreated as far back as he could, until he was wedged into a corner. He then steadied his breathing and assessed the situation. So, he was in a basement. With a dead body. A body that was dead because his dad killed him. It's just a body. It can't hurt him. It's better than an alive Joe, he figured. And it's probably better than being up there with his dad. He has food and water so he should be ok for a few days if his dad left him down there for any length of time. That wouldn't be anything new. He used to forget he'd locked him in the closet for a day or two when he was a kid. Only remembering if Dawn mentioned something or if Trey had let him out. Which would then earn Trey an ass kicking.

Finally, he registered something in his pocket and realized he had his cell phone. Which brought him to where he now was. Stumbling around the basement trying to get a signal. Managing to get a weak one if he stands under the boarded up window and lifts the phone as close as he can to it. Fat lotta good that was going to do him. How is he supposed to talk to anyone like that? Trying to use the light from the cell phone screen, he looks around the basement, carefully trying to avoid the center of the room at the bottom of the stairs but, alas, the area is unavoidable. He can't find anything to stand on, so he decides to climb the stairs and maybe he can get a signal at the top. He steps over Joe's sprawled out arm and quietly, if not a little wobbly, ascends the stairs. Listening at the door for his dad, he looks down and sees that the signal got a little stronger. Unfortunately, his dad could be heard moving around, so he can't risk being heard making a call. Shit. So he sits there quietly. Listening and waiting. He doesn't have to wait long, though, and he hears some movement. He panics as the footsteps get closer. For a moment he's afraid his dad is coming his way, but he hears a door open and close, followed by the starting of a car. Whew. Now, who was he going to call? He doesn't figure the cops would do any good because they'd want him to tell them where he was and he doesn't know where he is. Besides, he doesn't want to talk to a stranger. Out of habit he hits speed dial number two.

"Hello? Ryan?", Seth's voice comes breathlessly over the phone.

Ryan smiles and leans his head against the door. Seth.

"Ryan? Ryan? You there?", comes Seth's panicked voice followed by Kirsten and Sandy's. "Ryan, honey? Can you hear us?

"Kirsten? Sandy?", he finally manages to get out with a raspy voice. His throat is hurting him.

"Yes, Ryan. We're here, honey", Kirsten says as she starts to cry.

"We've got you on speaker phone, kiddo. Are you all right? Can you tell us where you are? Are Frank and Joe nearby", Sandy starts firing off questions.

Ryan's brain is still a little fuzzy so it takes him a second to sort them out. "Uh, yeah, I'm ok. I...I don't know where I am. A basement somewhere. I'm alone right now.", he says, suddenly feeling very tired.

Hearing the exhaustion in his voice, Kirsten asks again if he's all right.

"My head hurts.", is all he says. Kirsten and Sandy exchange a look. Concussion confirmed.

"Ryan? My name is Jason Cook. I'm an agent with the FBI. Do you think you can answer some questions for me so we can try to figure out where you are? The GPS on your phone is giving us a very general location and we need to try to narrow it down."

Ryan's quiet for a second and then softly says, "but, I want to talk to the Cohens".

Sandy's heart clenches as how small his voice sounds. "We're here, Ryan. We're here but you need to help us out, kid. Ok?"

Ryan, forgetting he's on the phone, just nods.

"Ryan?", Agent Cook prompts.

"Yeah. Yeah, ok. I'll answer what I can", Ryan says with a sigh.

"Ok. Were you awake at any point during the ride to where you are now?", Agent Cook asks.

"Mmm, yeah...but I couldn't see anything. I was in the back of the van and then I was in the trunk of a car. I'm sorry...I ...I couldn't see anything.", Ryan says hopelessly.

The trunk. Sandy tries to ignore the thought and tries to reassure him. "Ryan, we know you're in Riverside. In a city called El Cerrito. Ok? You're not far. We'll be on our way in just a little bit, and there will be people looking for you there, soon, if they aren't already. You hear me? We're going to find you. Now, can you tell us anything about the house? Were you able to notice anything as they were moving you inside?"

Ryan sighs again, "Mmmm, let me think...", he rubs his forehead as he tries to remember anything useful. "Uh, ok, there...it's a small house and there was a carport, not a garage...and there was a side door to the house. Does that help?"

"You're doing great, Ryan. That'll help.", Agent Cook encourages. "Can you tell us where your dad and Joe went?"

"My dad left alone. Joe's here." Ryan rasps out and then clears his throat.

"Wait, dude", Seth jumps in confused. "You said you were alone before."

"I am.", Ryan states.

They all exchange a worried look before Sandy says, "You're not making much sense, kiddo. Are you alone or is Joe still there at the house with you?".

"Oh. Uh, I...I'm alone but Joe's down here with me", Ryan unsuccessfully tries to explain.

Agent Cook takes over, "What do you mean he's down there with you?".

"At the bottom of the stairs. He's dead", Ryan simply states.

Kirsten and Sandy's breath catch.

"Guess my dad didn't need him anymore. He killed Alan, too", Ryan tiredly says. "Sandy?"

Sandy's mind is reeling but he manages to get out, "Yeah, kiddo. I'm here."

"I don't want to be here anymore", Ryan pleads.

Sandy fights back tears as he chokes out, "I know, son. It won't be for much longer". He hopes it isn't a lie. He can't stay down there with a dead body. He just can't.

Kirsten's crying quietly. Seth is clearly upset, chewing on his thumbnail.

Agent Cook speaks again, "Ryan, buddy. We're working as fast as we can but right now I need you to do something for me". He looks at the Cohens as he says, "None of you are going to like this but I need you to hang up...now, hear me out", he says as he puts hand up to cut off the protests and then continues speaking to Ryan, "we need you to conserve battery power on your phone, Ryan. I want you to leave it on, though, if you still have a decent charge on it. You're in a stationary position right now but we need to be able to track you if that should change suddenly. If he should decide to move you or bring you out of the house, we should be able to get a fix on your location right away. If your battery is running low, then go ahead and turn it off but try to remember to turn it back on if your position changes so we can get a location. Do you understand?"

"Y...yeah. Ok." He reluctantly says.

"One more thing, Ryan. After you hang up, I want to you turn off the ringer on your phone. Ok? We don't want you getting a call and accidentally alerting Frank to the fact that you have your phone.", Agent Cook says.

"Ok. I'm going to hang up now", Ryan states.

"Wait! Ryan, wait", Kirsten panics.

"Kirsten?", Ryan asks.

"We love you, baby.", Kirsten says and then chokes back a sob.

Ryan's resolve finally crumbles and they listen as he tries to regain his composure. "I want to come home", he says quietly.

"Soon, baby. Soon", Kirsten assures. Please let it be soon. Sandy follows with his own reassurances, "we're coming for you, kiddo. Just hang in there."

Ryan takes a shaky breath and then says, "I'd better go."

"See you soon, dude", Seth says firmly and closes his eyes as the connection is lost.

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**So, not much action in this one but I had to set things up for the next bit. They're getting closer...**


	14. Chapter 14

**Events were conspiring against me yesterday and I was unable to write much, resulting in my lack up update for a day. There might be another delay for the next one. On the weekends I have to fight with my husband for use of the computer;) **

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Chapter Fourteen

After hanging up, Ryan immediately feels the loss of connection. He sits at the top of the stairs desperately wanting to call them right back. He doesn't like the dark. He doesn't want to go down the stairs. Joe was there. He gropes around for a light switch. He finds the switch and flips it. Nothing. He sighs. Maybe it's better that way. It's not like he really wants to stare at Joe's corpse. He makes his way down the stairs. When he reaches the bottom he slides his foot around, feeling for Joe's body. His foot comes in contact and he carefully steps over. He makes his way to the back wall and then settles in the corner. His stomach feels so empty but he doesn't know if he'll be able to keep anything down. His side hurts for some reason and he really doesn't want to puke his guts up, so he just reaches for a bottle of water instead. He wonders where his dad went and how long he'll be gone. His thoughts drift to Alan. He died trying to protect him. He wonders if he had a wife, or kids that no longer have a dad because of him.

Frank had been restless and in need of a drink. Too bad he'd killed Joe. He could have sent him to the liquor store. Now he'd had to go himself. Instead of the liquor store, though, he found himself at a strip club getting a lap dance. He wonders if this place has a back room. He could use a good fuck. He tips her well and gives her a little bonus along with a look to suggest that he wants more. She smiles. She hadn't seen anyone flash that kind of cash to her in a while. She leads him down a dark hall and into a small room. He's kinda rough but for that kind of money she'll take it with no complaints.

Feeling sated, Frank leaves after having a couple of more drinks. He checks his wallet. The last of the ten grand he withdrew has finally dwindled away to nearly nothing. He shouldn't have given that bitch so much. He needs to get some more money and dump the car. He decides to give an ATM a try but it flashes "unable to complete transaction". He isn't really surprised but it doesn't stop him from getting pissed off. Bastards. He gets in the car and starts driving, getting more and more angry. He spots a liquor store and makes a sudden left, turning right in front of oncoming traffic that screech to a halt, barely missing him. He pulls into the lot, leaving the car running. He walks in and grabs a bottle and a twelve pack. Once at the register, he pulls his gun and demands all the cash in the register. The clerk, not liking the look in his eyes, complies quickly. He exits the store and peels out onto the street. He makes another small detour to dump the car. He pulls into an apartment complex and pulls into a space. He checks a few cars until he finds one unlocked. He walks back to the other car and grabs the booze and tosses it into the back seat of the new car. In no time at all, he's gotten it hot wired and is on the road, heading back to the house.

Ryan felt like shit. His head hurt. His side hurt. His throat hurt. Hell, his whole body hurt. He felt like just curling up in the corner and closing his eyes but he couldn't just sit there. He knew the Cohens and the police were looking for him but who knows how long that would take. If they could find him at all. Who knows what his dad will end up doing next. He's already killed two people and nearly choked him to death. He needed to end this before anyone else got hurt. That Agent said they couldn't get a good lock on his position. Probably because he was in a basement and there wasn't a strong enough signal. So that means he'll have to get out of the basement if he wants to be found. The windows are boarded up and he has no way of getting to them anyway, so that's no good. The door. The door is the only way out. Which means having to get past his dad. Unless...Trey had tried to show him how to pick a lock but he didn't pay attention. He hadn't been planning on ever breaking into someone's house so he had just humored him, but maybe something stuck. He felt his pockets for anything he could use. Nothing. He had his cell phone and his keys. Joe. Maybe Joe had something. He shuddered at the thought of rummaging through some dead guy's pockets. He closed his eyes, took a deep breath and then started crawling to where Joe's body should be. His breath catches as his hand brushes across something. He pulls his hand back momentarily and tries to psyche himself up to continue. He takes another breath and forges ahead. His hand running up Joe's leg until he reaches the pocket. He tentatively reaches in. Keys. Money. He reaches to the other pocket and finds a small pocket knife. Too big for picking a lock but too small to do any damage. At least not enough damage to stop his dad from beating the hell out of him, or worse, if he should manage to stick him with it in an effort to get away. But could he really stab anyone anyway? His own father, no less? Wait. Keys. Joe had been working with his dad so maybe he had a key to the locks on the basement door. No. With his luck, it couldn't be that easy. Can't hurt to try, though. He takes the keys and makes his way up the stairs. He tries key after key with no luck. Figures. He lets his head fall hard against the door, which he realizes was a mistake right away. His head is once again throbbing. He hears a car door slam. Shit. He listens quietly as Frank enters the house and slams the door. He listens to him stalk across the room and he can hear him muttering something. He sounds angry. He then hears what he thinks is a refrigerator slam closed, followed by the distinct sound of a can being popped open. Great. He went on a beer run. Now he's pissed off and drinking. Not a good combination. Looking down at the keys in his hand, worry sets in that on a whim Frank will come down and search Joe at some point. If he finds nothing in his pockets...well, that wouldn't be good. He puts the keys back in Joe's pocket and debates about the knife. He might need it. He takes a gamble that Frank doesn't know Joe carried one and shoves it into his back pocket and then settles into the corner. God, he's so tired and cold and hungry. He feels around for one of the food items. He opens mystery bag number one. Barbecue potato chips. His mind wanders to the Cohens' refrigerator packed full of food. Real food. He sighs. He wants this to be over. All he can do now is wait. Wait to be found or wait for an opening. Maybe if Frank comes down here, and he's drunk enough, he can get past him.

The Cohens are all piled into one of the FBI's SUV's on their way to El Cerrito. Caleb had offered them the use of a helicopter to get them there quicker but Agent Cook insisted that it would take less than an hour to get there and that they'd be in constant contact with the authorities in Riverside should something break. Counting down the minutes and ticking away the miles that separate them from Ryan, they all sit quietly, lost in their own thoughts. Thoughts of Ryan being locked in a basement with a corpse and thoughts of what Frank would do if he were cornered. He'd already killed twice. Who knows what he would do to Ryan. Ryan's been missing for nearly 12 hours now. Seth's sitting between Sandy and Kirsten with his head resting on his mom's shoulder. Kirsten's hand is nestled in Sandy's firm grip across Seth's lap. They listen as Agent Cook relays orders as they get closer and closer. All available patrol cars in the county have begun methodically searching each street. A police helicopter has been dispatched and had already begun its search pattern, seeking out houses with carports and any car fitting the description of the stolen vehicle Frank was last known to be driving. With Ryan's description of the house, it shouldn't take long to zero in on them. Just as they're nearing the post where the search is being commanded from a report of a liquor store robbery comes over the air wave with the perp's description matching Frank to a "t". Shortly after, one of Agent Cook's fellow agents call informing him that they had just gotten a hit on Frank Atwood's ATM card. They can already guess that the location will be near the liquor store. Frank's getting increasingly impulsive and reckless and it unnerves Agent Cook as well as the Cohens. They need to find Ryan, and quickly.

Ryan is resting his head against the wall in the corner of the dark basement when the door suddenly swings open. He clenches his eyes shut to the light as Frank makes his way down the stairs, beer in hand. Ryan opens his eyes a sliver to see if he can read Frank's intent. Frank stops at Joe's body, finishes off the beer and tosses the can on the floor, not even giving Ryan a glance. He bends down and starts searching Joe's pockets, taking the money found and shoving it in his own pocket. That liquor store didn't have much cash in the register. He needs more. He rolls Joe's stiff body over enough to reach the back pocket. He pulls out the wallet and smirks. He's got a couple hundred dollars in it. Something registers in his peripheral vision and he abruptly swings his head in Ryan's direction, looking as if he'd forgotten he was there. He steps over Joe's body and demands for Ryan to stand up. Ryan struggles to comply but he moves too slowly for Frank, who grabs him by the arm and yanks him up.

"You got any money?", Frank gruffly asks as he reaches to pat Ryan's pockets.

Ryan panics at the thought of him finding the pocket knife and quickly stammers, "Y...yeah. I have a little in my wallet", as he reaches for it. He pulls it out and Frank grabs it from him. He pulls out the sixty dollars inside and tosses the wallet to the floor.

When Frank turns to leave, Ryan asks, "Why are you doing this?"

Frank turns back and, with narrowed eyes, he stalks back to Ryan. Ryan tries to back up but there's nowhere to go. "Because you're my son. Not theirs. You never will be. MY blood is running through your veins. Mine.", he snarls and he pokes him hard in the chest. They stand there, with eyes locked when the sounds of a helicopter is suddenly heard overhead. Frank's head whips up and toward the door. He rushes up the stairs to check it out, forgetting to close the door.

Ryan's heart quickens as he takes in this turn of events. Seeing the door open, he takes his chance. His head is still pounding and his body aches all over so he's not able to move as fast as he'd like but he gets up the stairs and carefully looks out, surveying the room. He sees his dad at the window and bolts for the side door. Frank hears him and turns to give chase, "you little shit!"

The helicopter spots several houses with carports but none with a vehicle matching the description of the stolen car. They direct patrol cars to each one to check them out anyway. The suspect could have dumped the stolen car and taken another that just hadn't been reported yet. Just as they're about to call in another home fitting the description, they see a person run from the house with another person following close behind.

"I think we have something", the pilot states. "The suspect has been spotted. Send units to Hillside and Lyle. The victim has also been spotted trying to flee on foot. The suspect is giving chase". The pilot pulls closer just as Frank catches Ryan and tackles him to the ground. An officer comes over the loud speaker ordering Frank to release the boy but Frank ignores it and delivers a blow to Ryan's jaw and proceeds to drag him back to the house.

Agent Cook makes radio contact with the pilot, "Do you have a shot?"

"Negative. He's right on top of the boy. No shot. Repeat. No shot", the pilot relates. "He's pulling the boy back inside the house. Units are nearly on scene."

Frank pulls Ryan tight to him as he watches the helicopter. He's nearly in the door when he sees flashing lights speeding down the street. Fuck. He pulls Ryan inside and slams the door. He slams Ryan up against a wall, "you've screwed me again, you good for nothing little bastard".

The Cohens listen to everything unfolding with baited breath as Agent Cook speeds the SUV in the direction of the house. They've found him. Now what?


	15. Chapter 15

Chapter Fifteen

Ryan was dazed from the punch to the jaw and the next thing he knew he was being lifted and pulled backward. His head was pounding and now his dad was yelling something at him but he was having trouble making out the words. The helicopter was drowning everything out and every whip of the blades was reverberating in his head and making him nauseous. Flashing lights are filtering in through the windows and his dad is looking at him with murderous eyes. His hand is around Ryan's throat. Hasn't he been here before? Instead of tightening his grip this time, though, Frank merely holds him in place as he rears back with his other hand and Ryan sees a fist coming straight at him. This is gonna hurt.

Agent Cook arrives on scene with the Cohens in tow. He stops down the street and hops out, leaving the Cohens a safe distance away. He orders another Agent to stay with them and make sure they stay put and to help set up an outer perimeter to close off the area. With that, he approaches the officer in charge of the scene. The helicopter is making it difficult to communicate so they wave it off. He's informed that Atwood pulled Ryan into the house just as they arrived on scene and they've been unable to see movement inside. The address has been called in to find out who owns the house to try to ascertain if their are any other occupants. A S.W.A.T. team has been called in. They know he's armed but have no idea how much ammunition he might have.

Kirsten, Sandy and Seth watch in disbelief as police swarm the area. They watch as a S.W.A.T. tactical vehicle rolls by them and toward the house that Ryan is in. They're so close. Kirsten's eyes fill with tears. "He's right there, Sandy. He's so close I can feel him."

Seth is chewing on his thumbnail, taking in the scene. It's like something out of a movie and they're smack dab in the middle of it. Smack dab. Who the hell made that up? His knee is bouncing up and down and he's squirming in his seat.

Sandy rests his hand on Seth's knee and stills it. "Seth, it'll be all right", Sandy tries to reassure. "We've found him."

"It'll be all right?! You don't know that! Yeah, we found him but how the hell are they gonna get him away from that nutbag?", Seth replies. "Ryan is right there...", he points to the house, "...in that house...with an armed man that's already killed two people...and those...", he points to the police, "...those are cops, surrounding that house. Can't say I think dear old Frank Atwood is going to be too happy with his unexpected guests. Who knows what he's gonna do! How are they gonna take him down before he can hurt Ryan? Tell me that!"

The same thoughts are swirling in Sandy's head. Frank is dangerously unpredictable and impulsive and it scares him to death. "Seth, I know you're scared for Ryan. We all are, but these people are trained to deal with these situations. They'll bring in a negotiator that's dealt with men like Frank before.", he says with more confidence than he actually has.

"Riiiight, and Frank's just gonna sit down and have a little chit chat", Seth says sarcastically. "I don't know about you but he doesn't strike me as a people person."

"Seth!", Kirsten yells. "Enough. We don't need your sarcasm. You don't have to explain to us how volatile this situation is. We're all worried but we have to believe that they know what they're doing and will bring Ryan out of this all right. I can't think anything else. I won't. He will be all right. Do you hear me?", she says fighting back her emotions. "He's going to be all right. He has to be", she finishes softly as her eyes drift back to the house.

Seeing that his mother is teetering right now, Seth decides she's right. They don't need his smart remarks but he can't help it. That's just the way he's wired. "You're right, mom. I'm sorry. I just..."

"We know, son. It's ok. It'll all be over soon", Sandy says as the knot in his stomach tightens. It will all be over soon. One way or another. He doesn't want to think the worst but he can't help it. Thoughts of Frank not wanting to go down without a fight and taking Ryan down with him keep invading his mind. He closes his eyes and prays he's wrong.

Ryan's on the floor right where he fell after Frank finished. He's barely conscious, having taken several blows to the face and then a few kicks to his side and stomach after Frank dropped him to the ground.

Frank's pacing with a cigarette in one hand and the bottle of whiskey he'd bought earlier. Taking a drink, he assesses the situation. He's fucked. He shakes his head and takes another drink.

Agent Cook has filled in the hostage negotiator, informing him that while Ryan has confirmed that Frank Atwood has killed two people, the suspect himself is not aware that they know that. The negotiator figures they can use that to their advantage. Now, he has to get a dialog started. "Frank Atwood, this is Sgt. Mike Reid of the Riverside County Police Department Crisis Team. I'm here to listen to you and to try to make sure everyone is safe."

Frank steps to the side of the window and carefully opens it, staying out of view. He yells out, "you wanna keep everyone safe? Then fuck off!"

"I'm afraid I can't do that, Mr. Atwood. We need to figure out where we go from here and to do that, I need to be able to talk to you. I need to get a phone to you. I'm going to send an officer into the yard. Just close enough to toss a phone in the window. He'll back off right after. ", Sgt. Reid calmly states. He waits for a reaction. Taking the silence as acceptance, he nods for an officer to proceed.

Frank steals a glance out the window and sees the officer approaching. For a fleeting second he's tempted to off him. Instead, he takes another swig off of the bottle and allows the phone to be delivered.

Sgt. Reid starts to speak again. "The phone is a direct line to me. When you're ready, just pick it up and hit "talk" and you'll be patched right through to me."

Frank looks down at the phone. He snorts wondering just what they think they have to talk about. He's screwed and he knows it. He ain't getting out of this one. The question is, does he want to get out dead or alive. He doesn't necessarily want to go back to prison but it wouldn't be the end of the world if he did. That is, if he didn't have a murder rap hanging over his head this time. He takes another drink.

Sgt. Reid and Agent Cook exchange a look before Agent Cook gives a nod. Sgt. Reid starts speaking through the loudspeaker again. "Mr. Atwood, we can end this peacefully. All you're looking at right now is parental abduction. A jury could be sympathetic to that. Pick up the phone and talk to me. Let's figure something out."

Kirsten, Sandy and Seth are listening intently to the voice over the loudspeaker, having rolled down their windows trying to hear anything that could tell them what's happening down the street. Seth's brow furrows, "Parental abduction? What the hell is he talking about? He killed two people!"

Sandy tries to explain, "Seth, they're trying to make him think he has an out. We know he killed Alan and Joe through Ryan but Frank doesn't know that. He doesn't know that the authorities know for sure that he's the one who killed Alan and as far as Frank knows, there's no way anyone could know about Joe yet. They're trying to draw him out." Listening to the negotiator, Sandy tries to find a ray of hope.

As Frank takes another drink, he slides down the wall to sit on the floor. He contemplates the negotiator's words. Parental abduction. That's right. They don't know which of them killed that bodyguard and they don't know about Joe. Yet. They will as soon as they come in this house. Shit. He could blame the bodyguard on Joe but how does he explain his body laying at the bottom of the stairs. Self defense. Joe turned on him. No. He could say Joe went after his boy. Yeah. A jury would be sympathetic to a guy trying to protect his kid. His kid. His eyes drift to Ryan's still form. What to do about him. He'll screw everything up like always. He saw him kill Alan and Joe, so he'll rat him out...and if he kills the little bastard, then he'll probably go down for all three, meaning the death penalty for sure. Fuck that. He'd rather die here and if he ain't getting out of this alive then neither is the kid. He's the reason he's in this fucking mess.

Getting increasingly worried at Frank's refusal to communicate, they start discussing other options.

The S.W.A.T. team is at the ready but are unable to see inside the house, as all of the blinds are drawn except for the window where the phone was thrown in. That one leaves them with the lower part of the window exposed but the line of sight is very limited. They discuss using a flash-bang grenade to temporarily stun Frank so they can rush the house but Agent Cook waves that option off due to not wanting to risk Ryan further. He already has what appears to be a fairly serious concussion and he's afraid of the additional impact a stun grenade would have on him. He is also reluctant to use a grenade using CS gas. They don't know if Ryan has any other injuries and he's worried about how the gas would affect his breathing, as well as the pain it would cause the boy getting into any open wounds he may have. CS gas is painful enough, he doesn't want to put the boy through too much undo physical stress on top of what he's already been through. That leaves them with a simple smoke bomb. Which, in itself can burn exposed skin and hamper breathing temporarily but their choices here are becoming limited and they just might have to go with the lesser of the three evils.

Ryan groans as he starts to become more coherent. He tries to focus on what's going on around him. He could hear a disembodied voice for a while but couldn't make out what was being said. He tries to look around but one eye isn't cooperating and won't open. He finally focuses on the figure across from him, sitting against the opposite wall. His dad takes a long drag on a cigarette and takes a swig from his bottle as he stares at Ryan blankly. Ryan gut rolls. He has a very bad feeling. He tries to sit up, suddenly feeling very vulnerable flat on the floor like that. He sucks in a breath as he sits and the pocket knife in his back pocket registers. He slowly moves his hand toward it, trying not to draw Frank's attention to it.

Frank makes a decision. He takes a drink and then sits the bottle on the floor. He rises and stalks over to Ryan and pulls him up until he's standing. Once again he holds him against the wall by the throat. His other hand reaches behind him and he pulls his gun.

Ryan can see in his eyes what's going to happen. He reaches desperately for the knife and opens it. He adjusts his grip and just as Frank raises the gun and starts to point it at him he brings the knife up and jams it in Frank's left forearm. It slices through muscle and slides right between the radius and ulna. Frank yells out in pain as his left hand releases Ryan. He's momentarily stunned at Ryan's action and drops his aim but quickly recovers. He holds his left arm to him, blood pouring out, and again swings his gun hand toward Ryan. Ryan grabs the gun and deflects the shot just as Frank pulls the trigger.

The gunshot spurs the S.W.A.T. team into action. "GO! GO! GO!", the team leader yells as they rush the house.

Ryan is desperately struggling to keep his dad from turning the gun back on him when another shot rings out. Everything stops. Blood splatters on his face as his dad's head jerks to the side. Suddenly he's falling. The last thing he remembers is staring into his dad's lifeless eyes before everything goes dark.

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**Ding dong, the dickhead's dead. lol. I was thinking of having Frank go out in a blaze of glory, trying to take out a few cops, or maybe even a little car chase, but this is how things ended up. I think whether he would have gone out in a blaze of glory or let himself be apprehended to save his own neck for the time being (another option I contemplated), he wouldn't have let Ryan go back to the Cohens. His whole point was to take back what was his and I don't think he'd have let the Cohens have him no matter what. Either way, that damned Ryan, always screwing up his plans;) **

** Anyway, I needed to get our poor Ryan back to the Cohens. Poor woobie. He's seen three people die right in front of him. The last being the man that helped to give him life. That's just gotta mess with a guy's head. lol. **


	16. Chapter 16

Chapter Sixteen

The scene was one of controlled chaos. The Cohens collective hearts stop at the sound of gunfire followed by tactical team's assault on the house. Every law enforcement officer in the area tense and look as if they are preparing for an offensive. After the second shot, no others can be heard and the Cohens all jump out of the SUV to try to move closer. They have to find out what is going on. The agent left in charge by Agent Cook puts a stop to that. Kirsten doesn't take too kindly to that, grabbing onto his shirt front and demanding to know what was happening.

"I'm sorry, ma'am I can't let you pass. Agent Cook will radio once the scene is secure. If he gives the all clear, I'll escort you to the scene", he says as he looks down to her hands still grasping his shirt.

She abruptly releases him, "I'm sorry. It's just...I have to know if he's all right."

Ryan hovers somewhere just beneath the surface, seemingly unaware of the activity swarming around him. Each room is searched and pronounced clear. "We've got a body down here", someone is heard yelling from the basement. Finally, the house is declared secure and paramedics are called in. Frank is pronounced dead at the scene and the paramedics move to check Ryan over. He flinches as his pupils are checked. They do a cursory check of his body and find no apparent serious injuries. The head wound is a concern and they check his side as he reacts to pain when their hands run across his upper torso. Agent Cook approaches. "How is he?", he asks.

"He's reacting to light and pain. His vitals are good. His breathing is a little labored but I think we're looking at some fractured ribs which could account for that, along with the bruising around the neck. There could be some swelling which is restricting the airflow a little bit. We'll have him ready for transport shortly."

Agent Cook nods and surveys the scene, getting reports from everyone. He orders all unnecessary personnel out to make way for the crime scene investigators. He calls down to the other agent and has him escort the Cohens past the blockade, to the ambulance to meet the paramedics. Ryan is loaded onto a gurney and removed from the house. Agent Cook orders officers to do a sweep of the neighborhood to question residents about any other people that may have been seen coming and going. He's relatively sure that Joe and Frank were the only ones involved but needs to make certain. He looks down at Frank's body. Not the preferred ending for a standoff but this is one of those cases where it's better than the alternative. Maybe that kid out there can get past this and get on with his life with people that truly care about him.

Sandy, Kirsten and Seth have to keep themselves from breaking out into a run. They don't know how badly Ryan may be hurt. All they know is that they're being taken to meet paramedics at the ambulance. They reach the ambulance just as Ryan is being brought out of the house. Sandy can't wait a moment longer and runs to his side. He sucks in a breath at the sight of him. His left eye is swollen closed. His face it mottled with bruises. A scabbed over wound at his temple with dried blood down the left side of his face. His eyes drift to the bruising around his neck and he closes his eyes. _Oh, kid. What did that bastard do to you?_

Kirsten and Seth wait by the ambulance, almost afraid to see him. Seth is shifting nervously from foot to foot as Kirsten raises a shaky hand to her mouth as she gets her first glimpse of him. "Oh, Sandy", she says as she breaks down in tears.

Sandy pulls her close and says, "he's alive, honey. He's alive and we have him back."

Seth moves to Ryan's side and asks the paramedic if he's going to be all right.

The paramedic offers a smile. "I think he'll be all right. He's taken some hard knocks...", she says as Sandy and Kirsten turn their attention to her and listen intently, "...I think he fell pretty hard and that coupled with the original head injury is what's causing his current state. They'll do some imaging once he gets to the hospital to make sure there's nothing more serious going on. He looks bad but he's doing well all things considered."

"His breathing sounds bad", Seth says, not taking his eyes off of Ryan.

"There's some significant bruising on his left side. We're probably looking at a couple of fractured ribs...and that bruising around his throat probably isn't helping. His breathing is labored but the actual breath sounds are good, so I don't think there's any internal damage to his lung", she finishes with another small smile. "We'd better get him loaded in. One of you can ride with him", she says looking to Sandy and Kirsten.

Kirsten closes her eyes and tells Sandy to go.

"You sure, honey?", he asks. He was sure she'd want to be with him just as much as he does.

She sniffs, "Yes. I'm sure. I need to pull myself together. He doesn't need to wake up to me looking like Tammy Faye." Her comment prompts a small smile from Seth. "If he wakes up, you just tell him...", her eyes drift back to Ryan as he's loaded into the ambulance, "...tell him we love him and that Seth and I will be with him soon."

Sandy pulls her and Seth into a hug and tells them he'll see them at the hospital. He climbs in and settles in next to Ryan, grasping his hand tightly in his as the doors close and they pull away.

Seth and Kirsten watch as the ambulance drives away and are startled by someone approaching. "Mrs. Cohen? Agent Cook instructed me to drive you to the hospital. Are you ready to go?", a young police officer asks.

"Yes. Thank you", Kirsten says as they turn to walk to a squad car.

"What about Ryan's dad?", Seth asks, prompting Kirsten to stop dead in her tracks. She hadn't even thought about Frank Atwood. Her thoughts were solely centered on Ryan the moment they heard gunshots. She looks to the officer awaiting his answer.

"Mr. Atwood is dead, ma'am", the officer states as he turns to Kirsten. Kirsten simply nods. Her first thought is that it's over, but then she realizes that it's nowhere close to being over. Not for Ryan.

"Mom?", Seth asks. "That's good, right? There won't be a trial or anything. Ryan won't ever have to see him again."

Kirsten reaches out and brushes Seth's dark hair from his eyes. The officer holds the door open and they climb into the squad car.

Kirsten sighs, "It's complicated, Seth. Yes, I think it's good that Frank Atwood is dead but we have to be careful around Ryan. His feelings are going to be conflicted."

"Conflicted? His dad beat the hell out of him. When he was kid and now. He...he tried to strangle him for Christ's sake! You saw his throat.", Seth says, trying to understand how Ryan could feel anything but relief at his dad's death. The man killed two people.

"Honey", Kirsten says as she takes his hand in hers, "No matter what we feel about the man, or what we think Ryan should feel about him, he was his dad. Oh, he may not feel any great loss for the man himself but the simple idea that his "dad" is dead might stir up all kinds of emotions for him. We need to tread lightly. He's going to need all of us to help him sift through what he's feeling."

Seth nods. "Yeah, I guess...and, knowing Ryan, he won't let himself be happy that the guy's dead even if he is. He does guilt better than any Cohen and will tear himself up over being glad his own dad is dead."

Kirsten shakes her head at the truth of Seth's assessment. Nope. This isn't over by a long shot.

Once they arrive at the hospital they rush inside searching for Sandy. He catches sight of them and waves them over.

"Did he wake up?", Seth asks right away.

Sandy shakes his head and says, "Not fully. He moaned a little and scowled at being poked and prodded but he never opened his eyes. They checked him over and sent him to radiology to make sure they're not missing anything."

"But they think he's going to be ok, right?", Seth asks.

Sandy smiles, "Yeah. They said pretty much the same thing the paramedic said. They'll bring him back here as soon as they're done. They're getting a room ready. They want to admit him for now, to keep an eye on him."

Kirsten sighs in relief. "Do they think he'll wake up soon?", she asks.

"He doesn't seem to be under too deep. They think it's more exhaustion than anything. Once he gets a little rest, we should see those baby blues", Sandy says as he pulls her into a hug.

"Thank God", Kirsten says before informing Sandy that Frank is dead.

"I figured as much when we didn't see him taken out of the house. Can't say I'm sorry that's the way this turned out. The thought of Ryan having to go through a trial...or anything else because of that man...", Sandy trails off. "No. It's better this way."

Kirsten starts to say something but stops when she sees Ryan being wheeled back into the emergency room. She rushes to his side and tenderly brushes a hand across his forehead. Tears form again as she takes in his battered appearance.

The doctor informs them that the scans look good. He does have two fractured ribs, which will make breathing a bit painful. They'll need to take care that he takes some good deep breaths every hour or so once he wakes up so that he doesn't develop pneumonia. There's minor swelling in his head, so he may continue to experience headaches, nausea and some lightheadedness. He informs them that the symptoms differ from patient to patient and can last anywhere from a few days to a few months in some instances but he can be made more comfortable with medication. They'll keep him for observation so they can keep an eye out for more serious symptoms such as blurred vision and severe dizziness, as well as any significant confusion when he wakes up but, barring any complications, they think with some rest he'll be just fine. They thank him and then wait for him to be moved to a room.

They don't wait too long before an orderly comes in and within moments they're all settled into a room watching Ryan for any signs of movement. They know he needs his rest but they want him to wake up. They want him to know that he's safe.

Hours pass and there's the occasional shift or twitch of his hand but it's not until just before dawn that Ryan's eyes flutter open. Make that one eye. The other doesn't seem to want to open. He dazedly looks around the room, squinting from the overhead light. His eyes rest on Sandy dozing in a chair beside his bed. He feels someone holding his hand and his eyes drift to Kirsten, her head resting on the bed and her hand firmly gripping his. He turns his head and sees the top of Seth's head resting on the bed on the other side of him. He smiles and lets himself drift off again. He's home.


	17. Chapter 17

**Sorry, didn't get this up yesterday thanks to stupidly not saving my document as I was writing and having my computer wonk out on me. So I had to start all over. I wrote it a bit faster the second time around so I don't know. lol. Then, today, my finishing it was delayed thanks to having to deal with frozen water pipes. Ah, winter in the Midwest. It's a joy. **

**Anyway, here it is. I hope it's ok. Thanks for all of the lovely reviews. It's much appreciated. And, yes, this is indeed my first fanfic. I've read a lot and used to occasionally start short stories way back when but my attention span was always lacking the perseverance to see anything through. I promise to see this through in a timely manner, though. Honest;)**

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Chapter Seventeen

Sandy rose from his chair and stretched. Ryan was still sleeping. As were Kirsten and Seth. He'd thought about waking them but they were all so exhausted that he decided to let them sleep. He shakes his head in disbelief that it hadn't even been 24 hours since this nightmare started and Frank had taken Ryan from their home. Every hour he had been gone seemed like an eternity and he felt like he'd aged about ten years.

Ryan slowly begins to surface again. His head hurt and every breath he took was painful. What happened? He thought he was back with the Cohens. He thought he remembered being comfortable and warm, laying somewhere soft instead of that cold dark basement. Now he was hurting all over. Had seeing the Cohens all been a dream? He was afraid to open his eyes and find that he was someplace he really didn't want to be. Was he still with his dad? He frowns and his breathing quickens at the thought.

Sandy notices the change and moves closer. He tries to comfort him and places a hand gently on Ryan's head.

Ryan startles at the touch. He flinches and tries to press himself into the bed in retreat. He sucks in a breath and his face contorts with pain.

"Hey, Ryan. Come on, kid. It's ok", Sandy sooths as he presses the call button.

The voice Ryan hears doesn't sound angry, so he risks a peek. He lets his eyes open a sliver. Which is as far as his left will open anyway. Light filters in and he grimaces and closes his eyes again. He sighs and tries again.

"That's it, kiddo", Sandy says encouragingly as Kirsten's head snaps up at Sandy's voice. On the other side of the bed, Seth stirs as well. "Come on, Ryan. We're all waiting to see those baby blues."

Ryan's eyes open to Sandy standing over him and then trail over to two very sleepy looking Cohens. Relieved, he sighs and mumbles, "not a dream."

Sandy frowns, thinking Ryan is talking about the ordeal he's just been through. "No, I'm sorry, kid", he sadly states as he runs his fingers through Ryan's hair. "Not a dream."

Ryan frowns at Sandy's frown. Why is he apologizing for being real? Before he can ask, a nurse comes into the room.

Upon seeing Ryan awake she smiles and says, quite enthusiastically, "well, hello there young man. My name is Marcia. I'll be your nurse today." She checks his vitals as Ryan tries to follow her every move while she quickly flits around his bed. She notices a small grimace as he shifts his position. "Are you in pain? Your meds are probably wearing off. I'll be right back and we'll get you fixed up", she says as she gives him a pat on the leg and is out the door in a flash.

Ryan blinks trying to keep up. He turns his attention back to the three Cohens who are currently staring at him intently. He clears his throat and says, "hey".

Seth's smiling wide, "Hey, dude. Welcome back."

Kirsten rests her hand on his arm. "We were so worried about you. How are you feeling, sweetie?"

"Hey, kiddo", Sandy says with a warm smile.

He clears his throat again but doesn't say anything. How does he feel? He feels like shit. He's tired and he aches all over. It hurts to breathe and he really wants to go home and forget any of this ever happened. "I'm ok, I guess. Just...glad to be...", he trails off, shifting uncomfortably. He changes the subject, "where are we, anyway? Are we in Newport?"

"No, we're still in Riverside. We'll get you home once the doc gives the ok. Soon, ok, kid?", Sandy says as he gives his shoulder a squeeze.

The nurse whisks back into the room and injects something into Ryan's I.V.. She gives him another smile and says, "there you go. You should be feeling better soon. Can I get you anything, hon'?" At the shake of his head, she says, "Ok then. If you need anything, you just press this little button here and I'll be here in a flash."

Ryan nods absently. Her cheery nature is really kind of annoying.

The nurse turns her attention to Sandy and Kirsten and says, "the doctor's on his way down to check in. Can I get anyone anything? Anything at all? No? Ok, then. I'll just get on out of here and leave you to it." With a smile and wink, she's gone again.

"She could get herself a Valium", Seth says under his breath.

Kirsten is about to reprimand him when she hears a soft snort come from Ryan. She looks at the small smile on Ryan's face and her breath catches. She was so afraid she'd never see that shy little lopsided smile of his again. She gives his hand a squeeze.

Sandy, having heard Seth's comment as well, says, "she was quite the little bundle of energy, wasn't she? What do ya think, boys? Maybe she's hittin' the old meds cart?", he says with a waggle of the eyebrows.

"Sandy", Kirsten says as she smacks him on the arm. "Don't encourage him. She was nice."

"Oh, honey. Come on. You have to admit..."

Ryan sighs and settles back in the bed at the familiar banter. A welcome sound that he wasn't sure he'd ever hear again. He closes his eyes, listening but not really listening, but the second his eyes shut out the light he's bombarded with images. Alan. Joe. The dark basement. His father's angry eyes replaced by lifeless one's as the bullet pierces his head. His eyes fly open and his breathing quickens. He tries to sit up more, which causes a pained grunt.

"Ryan? Kid? Are you ok? What's wrong?", Sandy worriedly asks.

Ryan shakes his head and tries to steady himself. He takes a breath and says, "I'm ok." Sandy and Kirsten don't look convinced. "Really. I...I'm ok. I'm just...I...I just...moved wrong. When can I get out of here?"

Sandy frowns and opens his mouth to say something but finds himself unceremoniously nudged out of the way as Kirsten elbows her way to the head of the bed, closer to Ryan. He can't help but raise his eyebrows in amusement and catch a similar look on Seth's face.

"Soon, baby. Soon. You've been through a lot, sweetie, and the doctor just wanted to keep you long enough to make sure you're all right. Why don't you just close your eyes and get some rest until the doctor gets here?", she says as she tenderly brushes her fingers across his forehead and rests her hand on the side of his face. She feels him lean into the touch but then he shakes his head.

"No. I...I don't want to sleep right now", he states as he rubs his eyes. He is tired but he doesn't feel like being in the dark right now.

Kirsten's brow furrows, "but, honey, you need your rest. We'll be right here."

Sandy quietly studies Ryan as he tenses and says again that he doesn't want to go back to sleep. He's about to say something but is once again interrupted as the doctor enters the room.

The doctor smiles and extends a hand to Sandy. "Good morning." He nods to them all and turns his attention to Ryan. "Well, how are we doing this morning?" He's greeted with a one and a half-eyed glare. He clears his throat, "ah, well, I'm Dr. Richards. Do you think you can answer some questions for me while I check you out here?" Still the glare but this time it's accompanied by a nod of the head. "Ok. Can you tell me your full name?"

"Ryan Atwood"

"I'm going to check your ribs now. You've got a couple of fractures. They're going to take about 6 weeks to heal, so you're going to need to take it easy", he says while he lowers the blanket to get a look at Ryan's abdomen and side. Sandy, Kirsten and Seth all grimace at the horrible bruising. Dr. Richards asks another question. "Can you tell me what day it is?"

"Uh, I'm not sure", Ryan says, looking at Sandy questioningly.

"That's ok, Ryan", the doctor says. "You've had a pretty rough time of it. How about we amend the question to the year?"

"2008...what day _is _it?", Ryan asks, looking to Sandy again.

"It's Wednesday", Sandy answers.

Ryan's brow furrows, "Wednesday? As in, the luncheon was yesterday?". At Sandy's nod, he says, "It's only been a day?", more in a statement than a question. He jerks away from the doctor with an annoyed glare as he pokes at the bruising around his eye and cheekbone.

"Sorry", Dr. Richards says. "Are you experiencing any head pain?", he asks as he shines a light in Ryan's good eye.

Ryan scowls and grumbles as he pulls away again, "Now I am."

Seth starts to say something but stops at Kirsten's pointed look.

"I'm sorry, Ryan. I needed to see how your pupils are responding to the light", Dr. Richards apologizes. "Did you have a headache when you first woke up?" Ryan nods. "Any dizziness or blurred vision?" Ryan shakes his head in reply. "Can I have some verbal answers, please?"

Ryan's eyes narrow but he says, "No."

"No, I can't have verbal answers or no, you don't have dizziness or blurred vision?", Dr. Richards asks.

Through gritted teeth, Ryan says, "No. I do not have dizziness or blurred vision."

"Ryan", Kirsten says as she squeezes his shoulder. "Dr. Richards is just doing his job. A little patience, please."

Ryan sighs and nods. "I'm sorry."

Sensing that he was reaching the end of Ryan's rope, Dr. Richards says, "It's all right, Ryan. I think things are looking good. You have a concussion so you might experience headaches for a while and maybe a little nausea. I'll prescribe you something for the nausea. Tylenol should help with the headaches well enough but I'm going to go ahead and prescribe something stronger since you're also contending with the rib fractures." He turns to Sandy and Kirsten. "You're going to need to make sure he takes some nice deep breaths every hour or so. With the fractured ribs, he's going to be taking shallower breaths to try to minimize the pain and that runs the risk of pneumonia developing. We're also going to want him to force himself to cough periodically as well, to help keep the lungs clear."

"How long will he have to do that?", Sandy asks.

"Just until he's up and moving around and working his lungs more", Dr. Richards replies.

This time, Kirsten asks, "What about the concussion? Should we keep him in bed?"

"He's going to need some good solid rest but if he's up to moving around, you should let him. The more he's up and around the better it will be for his lungs but he's going to need to take care with those ribs and the concussion. The effects of the concussion could disappear in a few days or weeks but could also last months. Each person and injury is different. Moderation is the key. He needs to listen to his body and not push himself too hard ", Dr. Richards states.

Ryan begins to fidget and Seth, correctly reading Ryan's increasing agitation, says, "HE's right here, ya know."

The three adults turn to face the two teenagers. Dr. Richards says directly to Ryan, "Yes. Well. I don't think there's any need to keep you any longer. I'll get your paperwork started and send a nurse in to show you how to do the proper breathing."

"Gee, buddy. I guess they really think you rattled those marbles in your head if they think you forgot how to breathe", Seth says sarcastically.

"Seth.", Kirsten says with pursed lips.

Ryan looks down and tries to hide the smile forming on his lips.

"And you. Don't encourage him", Kirsten says to Ryan with a smile of her own forming. Happy at the break in tension.

Dr. Richard's raises his eyebrows, "There is a real risk of you developing pneumonia. I don't want you to take your breathing lightly."

"Got it. Breathing is important. We'll make sure he does it regularly, doc", Seth says with a firm nod.

Ryan outright laughs at that and then groans and grabs his side. "Don't make me laugh, dude."

"Seth. Enough", Sandy says. He turns to the doctor, "thank you, Dr. Richards. We'll make sure he follows your directions". He shakes the doctor's hand and he exits the room.

"See there. We'll have you home in no time", Sandy says with a pat on Ryan's leg.

Ryan nods and leans back in his bed.

Sandy studies him a moment. "How are you doing, kid?", he asks.

Ryan can tell from the sincere tone that he's not talking about his health. He looks from Sandy to Kirsten to Seth and then looks down as he nervously fidgets with the edge of the blanket.

Sandy looks to Kirsten and subtly suggests with his eyes that he gets some alone time with Ryan. She nods and suggests that she and Seth go find some coffee and something to eat. It's been a while since any of them have eaten anything. Seth starts to protest but a small rumble of his stomach, along with a glare from his father, convinces him to acquiesce.

As soon as they're gone, Sandy sits on the edge of the bed and softly says, "Talk to me, kid."

Ryan looks up into Sandy's eyes and sees nothing but warmth and concern. So unlike his dad's. His hand absently drifts to his throat. He then closes his eyes at the memory of his dad staring right at him with cold empty eyes as he prepared to put a bullet in his head. He sucks in a breath and can't stop the tear that slips out of the corner of his eye.

"Oh, kid", Sandy whispers as he gently pulls Ryan into a hug. He feels Ryan fight it for a moment before giving in. He feels the shudders through Ryan's body and feels the warmth of tears soak into his shirt but barely hears a sound. His heart breaks at it and he can't stop his own tears as Ryan finally grabs onto Sandy tightly and returns the hug, seemingly holding on for dear life. "It's ok, Ryan. We're going to get you through this", Sandy promises as his hand drifts up and gently grasps the back of Ryan's head as he holds him close. "We've got you now."


	18. Chapter 18

Chapter Eighteen

The tears had ceased but Ryan still rested in Sandy's arms. He was so still that Sandy would have thought he'd fallen asleep if it weren't for the hands still tightly gripping the back of his shirt. So there Sandy sat, gently massaging the back of Ryan's neck, waiting for the inevitable moment when he would pull away. He hoped it wouldn't be for a while. He sure wasn't going to let go anytime soon if he could help it.

Ryan felt pretty stupid and embarrassed but he didn't want to let go. He'd never had anyone hold him like that. Not wanting to hurt him. Not wanting anything from him. Only seeking to comfort. It was nice. He felt content for the time being. He remembered sitting on his mom's lap once when he was little. She had a drink in hand like always, so she was probably drunk but not slobberingly so. She had been watching some movie on tv and pulled him up in her lap. She'd held him close, kissed him on the top of his head and said, "love you, baby". It seemed like she meant it. Looking back, though, she only seemed to give him affection when she didn't have a man with her. She latched onto him then, making him promise never to leave her...and then she goes and leaves him. Everyone leaves him eventually. His dad came for him but he didn't want _him_. He saw him as a thing he could use. Own. Control. The only time he touched him was to inflict pain and in the end, hurting him wasn't enough. He hated him enough to want to end his life. Then there was Sandy. From the moment he saw him the man seemed to care more than anyone else ever had. It didn't make sense. How could his own dad look at him and see...nothing, and this man with no connection to him at all look at him and and immediately see _something_?

The silence is broken by a knock at the door. "Mr. Cohen?", Agent Cook says as he pokes his head in the door. "I can come back if this is a bad time", he states as he takes in the scene.

Ryan releases his grip and pulls away, head down. He tries to discretely wipe his face of any lingering tear tracks.

Sandy keeps an eye on Ryan as he says, "No. No, it's all right. What can I do for you?"

Agent Cook steps further into the room, "I was hoping to get a statement from Ryan. If he's up to it?"

"Ryan?", Sandy asks. "What do you think, kid? Do you think you want to do this now or we can get you home and arrange something later?"

Still not looking at Sandy, Ryan shakes his head, "No, um, that's ok. I think I'd rather get it over with".

"Ok, then. Come on in and let's get started", Sandy says.

Ryan clears his throat. "Uh, Sandy? ", he says as he finally makes eye contact. "Could you maybe...", he trails off as he eyes the door.

Sandy sits there puzzled a moment until it dawns on him, "You want me to leave?"

Ryan inwardly winces at the disappointment in his voice and looks away. "Is...would that be ok?", he asks quietly. A part of him really really wants him to stay but he needs to keep this separate. His old life and his new. It was too confusing when everything got muddled together. Thanks to Frank, his old life had already bled into the new much more than he ever wanted. He never wanted to the Cohens to see that part of him. They never asked about those things before and that was fine with him. Now everything was all screwed up. They were going to want to talk. What was it Seth said? Worlds colliding. He needed to shove everything back in their place. Fresno. Chino. Newport. And now Riverside. No sense in dwelling on things you can't change. It happened and now he had to pick up and move on.

"Ryan. I...I don't think that's such a good idea", Sandy says.

Agent Cook asks if they'd like a few minutes alone.

"No", Ryan says quickly. "I mean...", he frowns. "I just...I think I should do this...alone", he says, risking a glance at Sandy, willing him to understand.

Sandy wrestles with the right thing to do. He thinks he should stay but it seems important to Ryan to do it on his own. Of course, Ryan always thinks he has to do things on his own. He wants him to realize that he doesn't have to anymore but should he push it right now?

Agent Cook steps in, "how about Ryan and I give it a go and if it looks like he might need you after all, I'll step out and get you?".

Sandy sighs but agrees. "All right. If you're sure, Ryan."

Ryan lifts his head to look him in the eye and nods. "Yeah. I'm sure."

"I'll be right outside if you need me", Sandy says finally. He give his leg a squeeze and exits the room.

Ryan looks after him guiltily and squirms in the bed.

"I can call him back in", Agent Cook softly says. "There's nothing wrong with having a little support."

"I know", Ryan says as he turns to the agent. "I just...none of this should have ever touched them. I need to do this and put it behind me."

Agent Cook studies the boy for a second before he suggests they get started. He watches as Ryan squares himself and his face falls blank. He goes through the sequence of events in a detached manner, starting with his dad firing on Alan the moment the door opened. He leaves out any details and sticks to the bare facts. Running for the door. Not making it. Waking up in the van. Being moved to the car. Reaching the house and being taken to the basement. Joe making it halfway up the stairs before his dad shoots him. He recounts the phone call he made to Seth and his dad returning and coming down to the basement looking for more money. He tells of the helicopter causing his dad to exit the basement, leaving the door open, allowing him to make a run for it but being caught and brought back into the house. He ends with them struggling for the gun and his dad getting shot.

"Ok, Ryan. That's good. Can I ask for some clarifications?", asks Agent Cook.

Ryan turns his gaze to him and nods hesitantly.

"All right. Can I ask about the bruising to your neck? Was that Joe or your...or Frank?", he asks gently.

Ryan's eyes cast downward as he says, "Frank."

"Can I ask what brought it on?"

Ryan shrugs and says matter of fact, "I made him mad."

Needing to corroborate the S.W.A.T. unit's version of events and that Ryan's life was in immediate jeopardy, he asks, "how did you come to be in the struggle for the gun? And can you tell me where you got the knife?"

Ryan blinks, almost as if coming out of a trance, and shifts uncomfortably in the bed. "I found the knife on Joe...I...I was trying to find something to help me get out of the basement", he rubs his forehead and then clears his throat. "My dad...he...was going to... I remembered I had the knife and I...I stabbed him in the arm and...grabbed for the gun in his other hand and it went off. He tried to turn it on me again and then...then he was dead", he finishes quickly with eyes closed.

"So, to be clear, Frank was going to shoot you?", Agent Cook asks carefully. "And he was near enough that you could grab the gun? Or did you have to move toward him?"

"He was close", Ryan said softly.

"So he came at you, and you defended yourself." At Ryan's nod of agreement, Agent Cook is silent for a moment, his heart going out to the boy. He stands and pats Ryan's leg, "All right, Ryan. I think I have enough. You did real well. " He hesitates before continuing, "you did a brave thing, finding the knife. You kept your head and did what you had to do to make it out of there alive. I don't know many grown men that could have handled themselves any better."

"I don't feel brave", Ryan whispers.

"No, I don't suppose you do. Look, you take care of yourself, Ryan. You've got good people around you. They care about you. They'll help if you let them", Agent Cook says sincerely.

Ryan looks up at him and smiles. He appreciates the intent and knows the truth of his words. He knows the Cohens would do anything for him. He just doesn't feel they should have to and he still doesn't quite understand why they want to.

"All right, then. I'll send Mr. Cohen back in on my way out", Agent Cook says as he turns and exits the room.

Outside, Sandy is pacing. He halts when he hears the door open. At his raised eyebrows, Agent Cook informs him that Ryan did well.

"I had to draw out a few details and that was a bit hard for him, understandably. I think I've got a pretty good picture of what went on in that house. I could take a moment to go over it with you now if you'd like", Agent Cook offers.

Sandy rubs the back of his neck. "I need to know. I know that, but I really feel like I need to get back to him."

Agent Cook smiles and says, "I understand. I can finish my report and send you a copy? Or I can bring it by myself and answer any questions you might have?"

"That...that would be great. Thank you", Sandy says as he blows out a breath.

"Look, I don't want to overstep but he felt a bit guilty asking you to leave. I think he really wanted you there but just wasn't comfortable talking about it in front of you."

Sandy nods thoughtfully before extending his hand to Agent Cook. "I want to thank you for taking such care with Ryan throughout this whole nightmare. I can't tell you how much it means to me. I...I don't know what I would have done if..."

"I'm glad it's all worked out and he's back where he belongs. Cases like this make the job worthwhile. He's still got a tough road ahead of him but it looks like he's in good hands", Agent Cook says as he accepts the hand. "I'll be in touch."

Just as Sandy is saying his goodbye, Kirsten and Seth return with coffee and food. Agent Cook exchanges a greeting with Kirsten as he passes and she asks, "Sandy? Is everything all right?" as she approaches.

"Everything's fine, honey. He needed to get a statement. He just finished and told me how it went. I was just going back in to check on him."

"Told you how it went? You left him alone?", Kirsten asks with brows furrowed.

Sandy looks up to the ceiling and sighs. "He asked me to, honey. I wanted to stay with him but he wanted to do it alone."

Her face softens. "I'm sorry, Sandy. Let's go in and see how he's doing", she says as she grabs his hand.

Ryan is laying back, turned away from the door looking out the window as they enter. Upon hearing the door, he turns to them and sits up a little. "Hey."

"Hey, dude. We so couldn't do the hospital food, so we did a real food run. Well, fast food. Real fast food. We grabbed you and dad a burger from across the street", Seth says as he tosses it to Ryan.

Ryan catches it but makes no move to unwrap it.

Kirsten approaches the bed, "you ok, sweetie? Is your stomach still bothering you?"

"A little", Ryan concedes. Although, he's pretty sure it's not from the concussion but rather the images he still has in his head after talking with Agent Cook.

"You need to try to eat something. Could you try? For me?", Kirsten says as she brushes his bangs across his forehead. At his nod she pats him on the shoulder and takes a seat.

Sandy moves toward the bed and sits on the edge. "You all right, kiddo?"

Ryan looks up at Sandy. "Can we, like, not talk about it right now?"

"I'll let you off the hook for now but know this, kid. I'm here when you're ready to talk. I know you're used to dealing with things alone but I want you to know...I need you to know, that you don't have to anymore", Sandy says, making sure he has Ryan's attention. When Ryan says nothing, he sighs and says, "let's eat."

They settle in to wait for Ryan to be discharged, with Seth animatedly describing the culinary delights offered in the hospital cafeteria. While they were out, Kirsten had called Caleb to have him come pick them up, hoping that Ryan's discharge would come through by the time he got there. On the way back to the room they stopped at the gift shop to get Ryan a t-shirt and sweats to change into. So, after eating half of his burger, Ryan stiffly gets out of bed and gets changed in the bathroom. As he exits the bathroom his nurse comes into the room with his discharge instructions. She explains the prescriptions and then pulls out a plastic contraption that Ryan is to use to ensure he's taking deep enough breaths. She shows them how to use it and has Ryan do a couple of trial runs. Satisfied that she's got everything covered, she leaves to go fetch a wheelchair.

Within the hour they were in Caleb's car and on the road. After a few tense moments in the elevator. Ryan had been clearly uncomfortable before going in and, once inside, rode with closed eyes and fists clenched the whole way down. It didn't go unnoticed by any of the Cohens.

Seth had shotgun, while Kirsten and Sandy flanked Ryan in the back seat. Caleb occasionally studied the boy in the rear view mirror. He watched as Ryan quietly sighed and leaned his head back. He looked like hell and didn't say a word. Merely answering Sandy and Kirsten's whispered questions with a nod or shake of his head. Before long, the ride began to lull the boy to sleep. His head slowly tilting to the side until it finally rested on Kirsten's shoulder. Caleb watched her close her eyes and, with a smile, pressed her cheek against the top of Ryan's head while Sandy rested his hand on his arm and gave a gentle squeeze. It was quite a telling picture. One even Caleb couldn't miss as he turned his attention back to the road and they drove in silence back to Newport.


	19. Chapter 19

**Sorry, faithful readers. I've been having more computer woes and had to pull out a very old laptop that I needed to reformat and all that good stuff before I could use it, while I try to figure out what the problem is with my other one. It took a couple of tries to get it to work right, hence the absence of an update until now. **

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Chapter Nineteen

As they neared home, the car remained silent. Seth, too, had fallen asleep, head rested against the window. Caleb's voice breaks the silence. "You'll have media to contend with. Once the name of the man killed in El Cerrito was released, they descended like vultures. I've managed to have them pushed back to the gate, though, so once we get past that barrage our street ought to be quiet for the time being. "

Sandy sighs and rubs his eyes. "I didn't even think about that. I vaguely remember camera crews when we rushed out of there last night. I guess we'll just have to deal with it and hope it some other story catches their attention. Ryan doesn't need to be dealing with any of that on top of everything else", Sandy says quietly.

Ryan stirs at the voices and shifts, sending a pain shooting through his side. His face contorts and he jolts awake, disoriented.

"Whoa, kid", Sandy says as he places a hand back on his arm.

Ryan pulls away at the touch and bumps into Kirsten. His eyes fly to her trying to make sense of where he is. Feeling uncomfortably boxed in he tries to focus on his surroundings. His eyes catch Caleb's in the rear view mirror and he stops cold. He knows those eyes.

"I didn't mean to wake you, Ryan. You're almost home", Caleb states carefully, uneasy under the boy's gaze.

Ryan's silent a moment before his brow furrows and he says, "Mr. Nichol?"

Caleb shifts his eyes from the road and back to the mirror and nods.

Ryan tears his eyes from him and looks back at Kirsten and everything clicks into place. "Kirsten", he states as he rubs the sleep from his eyes.

Caleb watches as the unease drains from Ryan's body as he realizes where he is. Struck, once again, by how young Ryan looks in that moment.

"You ok, sweetie?", Kirsten softly asks.

Ryan nods and sighs. "Yeah. Sorry", he says as he rubs his forehead.

"It's all right, son. We'll be home in a few minutes, then you can get some good uninterrupted sleep in your own bed", Sandy says. The words are no sooner out of his mouth when he realizes that maybe going home is not such a good idea. Ryan might not be ready to go back just yet. They should have arranged to go someplace else until Ryan had a chance to digest all that's happened. They hadn't been thinking of anything but getting Ryan back.

Son. Home. Those words send Ryan's mind swirling. Sitting in that dark basement that's all he could think of. Getting home. Now he wasn't so sure. "Alan", Ryan whispers, not realizing he'd voiced the thought out loud.

"What, honey?", Kirsten asks, not having made out the word spoken, as Sandy's concern is compounded. He could kick himself for not thinking ahead.

"Ryan?", Sandy says to get his attention. It takes a moment for Sandy's voice to register but Ryan eventually turns toward him. "I'm sorry, kid. We should have arranged to go somewhere else for a few days. We weren't thinking."

Kirsten mentally shakes her head as realization dawns. Will they ever get it right? "Oh, sweetie. I'm sorry, too. We've been so eager to just get you back, and everything's happened so fast that we just haven't had time to really think things through. To tell you the truth, now that I think about it, I don't know myself how I feel about going back into the house right now", Kirsten admits.

Sandy nods in agreement and Seth's voice suddenly rings out. "Me neither", he says sleepily, as he stretches and gives his two cents. "Nope. Definitely not opposed to seeking housing elsewhere. Hey, maybe Rosie's doing another one of those family cruises."

Ryan frowns. Great. Thanks to him and his dad, the Cohens don't even want to go into their own house.

"What do ya think, kid? Shall we have Caleb turn this boat around?", Sandy asks.

Ryan shifts in his seat. "No. No, I think I'm ok. I mean, we're already here, anyway", he says as he nods his head toward the front of the car.

Kirsten, Sandy and Seth all follow Ryan's gaze and see the street littered with news vans and camera crews. They're spotted and a throng of reporters converge on the car.

"Whoa", Seth exclaims wide eyed. "They're like piranhas all going for the same piece of meat."

Caleb mumbles something as he slows, trying to drive through. "It's never too late to turn around", he says as he glances in the rear view mirror. "I can still turn around. I might take out of few of them but that wouldn't be any great loss."

Ryan meets Caleb's eyes and chews his lip.

"How many points for taking out a reporter?", Seth asks to no on in particular.

"Seth, what are you talking about?", Sandy asks as he and Kirsten try to shield Ryan from the flashes of the cameras.

"You know. That driving game where you get points for running down pedestrians. 50 points for a hitchhiker...10 points for someone in a crosswalk. Something like that. A reporter's gotta be something like 500 points and if they're not they should be."

"Lovely", Kirsten dryly says as they try to wave off the horde of people surrounding the car, strange faces peering in all of the windows.

Caleb is still watching as Ryan seems to wrestle with a decision. He decides to throw him a line. "Kiki? You're all welcome to stay at our house", he says directing the offer to Kirsten but maintaining eye contact with Ryan.

Ryan studies him a moment, sensing the sincerity in the offer. He briefly considers it but then clears his throat. "Um, you can keep going. Have to go in sometime. Might as well get it over with", he says decisively.

Caleb has to grin as he watches Ryan square his shoulders and sit up straighter, preparing himself. He has to admire the boy for wanting to face it head on. He honks the horn to give the reporters some warning and then begins to step on the gas harder. Slowly, the sea of faces part and they drive through the gate. Caleb gives the guard a nod and he, along with a couple of others Caleb hired to prevent anyone from sneaking through, holds them all back and closes the gate. They drive down the street and Caleb pulls into the driveway.

They all sit quietly for a moment, looking up at the house. The crime scene tape is gone and everything looks normal. You'd never guess that a man was killed there only a day before.

"Well, let's get this show on the road", Seth says as he flings his door open. He, too, is trying to psyche himself up to go inside. "Time to bite the bullet", he says with a cringe. The words were already out of his mouth before he realized what he'd said. He sheepishly turns to look at Ryan. "Sorry, dude. Bad choice of words."

Ryan gives him a small smile and waves it off. Sandy slides out of the car and begins to help Ryan out. Kirsten gets out on her side and rushes around the car to flank his other side. "Guys? It's ok. I can walk on my own", he says with a smile. It's so weird having people so concerned about him. Especially after...spending time with his dad. He had locked him in a basement with a dead guy and here they all were, including Caleb no less, worrying about him going back into the house and looking at him like they're afraid he's going to fall over. His dad would have just let him fall, and then would have gotten pissed off at him for doing so.

Every step jars his ribs, so the pace is slow, but they make it to the house and step through the door. Seth has stopped and is looking down at the spot were Alan had fallen. His mind's eye can still see the blood. Sandy steps forward. "Seth? Son? Are you all right?"

Ryan frowns. "You saw?", he asks Seth.

Seth looks up from the floor and turns to Ryan. "Yeah. Uh, well, no. Not really. We saw the...after. After the cops said it was ok."

"I'm sorry", Ryan quietly says.

Kirsten slips an arm around his shoulders, as the other gently rubs up and down his arm. "Oh, baby. It's not your fault. None of this is your fault."

Ryan shakes his head. "But...Alan. He...he's dead because..."

"Ryan", Sandy says as he steps back to Ryan. "You are not responsible for the things Frank did." He steers Kirsten and Ryan toward the family room and, pulling Seth along, they all move past the foyer. Kirsten guides Ryan to the couch and sits beside him. Seth sits on his other side and Sandy sits on the coffee table across from them. Caleb lingers in the doorway a moment before excusing himself, leaving them alone to deal with things as a family.

"Ryan? You hear me? Frank and Frank alone is responsible. I know you don't believe that right now but I want you to listen to me. No one blames you for any of this", Sandy says looking Ryan straight in the eyes.

Ryan meets his eyes and can see that for Sandy that's true, and maybe it is for the rest of the Cohen's but he doubts Alan's family feels the same way. He died trying to protect him. How is that not his fault?

As if reading Ryan's mind, Sandy addresses his thoughts. "Alan was doing his job. He knew the risks. His family understands that. Believe me kid, the only person they're going to be cursing here, is Frank. I guarantee it."

Kirsten gives him a squeeze. "Sandy's right, honey. The only one holding you responsible is you and you're so very wrong. It's not your fault and we'll keep saying it until you believe it", she says as she gently turns his head to face her. She brushes his bangs out of his eyes and studies his tired face. "Are you in any pain, baby?"

Ryan studies her in turn. Baby. His mom used to call him that but rarely with the genuine concern he sees in Kirsten's eyes. "Just kinda achy and I have a little bit of a headache", he admits.

"You look a bit tired", she says as she looks over at Seth. "You both do."

"I think we're all tired", Sandy affirms as he gives Seth's leg a squeeze. "How are you doing, son?"

Seth nods. "Ok. I, uh, would like to call Summer. Let her know what's going on?", he says as he looks at Ryan. "Unless..."

Ryan waves him off, "yeah, go ahead, dude. I am kinda tired. I think I will go lay down for a while."

"Do you think you could eat something before you lay down? You didn't eat much at the hospital", Kirsten asks as she looks at her watch. "...and it'll be time for your meds soon so you're going to need something in your stomach, honey".

"I'm really not that hungry right now. Can it wait a while?", Ryan asks as he scrunches up his face at the idea of food.

"Sure, kid. You go lay down and we'll get you up in a bit", Sandy says.

Ryan nods and makes to get up. Sandy immediately moves to his side and he and Kirsten gently help him to his feet. Ryan sways a little. "You ok?", Sandy asks.

"Yeah. Just a little lightheaded. I'm ok now", Ryan assures as he gives them a small smile.

"All right, then. Let's get you upstairs", Sandy says as he hovers by his side.

Ryan accepts the accompaniment as they leave the room.

Kirsten turns to Seth and asks again if he's doing all right.

"Yeah. It's just...weird. Surreal. I can't even believe all of this happened. I mean, the house looks the same but...it's not", Seth says.

Kirsten moves closer and pulls him into a hug. "I know, sweetie. It's hard to believe that just over a day ago, there was...", Kirsten says, unable to finish her thought.

"You think Ryan's going to be ok. I mean, he's tough but this...this is a lot", Seth asks. "Did you see him in the elevator?"

Kirsten sighs. "I saw. Honey, he's going need time to deal with all of this but I think, with our support, he's going to be all right. We'll make sure of it. We just won't let him keep it all bottled up inside."

Seth scoffs, "Yeah. Good luck with that."

Kirsten nods in understanding. "I know he's a tough nut to crack but, between the three of us, I think we can get him to open up a little. Sweetie, why don't you go ahead and call Summer and then maybe you should try getting some rest, too", she suggests as he runs her fingers through his thick curls.

Seth nods and goes up to his room to call Summer. A few minutes later Sandy comes back downstairs. The family room now empty, he goes in search of his wife. He finds her standing in the kitchen, lost in thought. He's sure he doesn't need to ask what's going through her mind as his eyes drift around the room where Ryan was so violently taken from them. Everything now back in it's place, no sign of any disturbance. He walks up behind her and slips his arms around her waist. She leans into him and sighs. "He's home, Sandy."


	20. Chapter 20

Chapter Twenty

Sandy holds Kirsten a moment before she pulls away and turns to look at him. "Did you get Ryan settled? Is he all right?"

"He's...handling things. The way he always does. He's not talking much, but at the same time I feel like he's more open. If that makes any sense", Sandy shrugs. "I don't know if he's genuinely more accepting of the physical contact or if he's just needing the contact right now after what he's been through."

"Maybe a little of both?", Kirsten offers. "I think he's truly become more comfortable with the contact from us in general, since he's been in the house, and now...after being with...that man...", she frowns, "one day with that man and we may be back to square one. If we'd just moved him in the house right away..." Kirsten says as she shakes her head. "he'd be more secure. He'd know where he fits with us by now. Oh, Sandy, we lost so much time with him stuck out there in the pool house. What were we thinking?"

"We weren't", Sandy says with a sigh. "but we are now and if we have to start all over again then we will. We won't let him down this time, honey."

Upstairs, Ryan is looking at himself in the mirror. Sandy had helped him to his room and the climb up the stairs exhausted him, but he didn't want to sleep. Every time he did he was back in that house with his dad and he really really didn't want to go back there right now. Sandy had settled him on the bed and sat beside him, asking again how he was doing. Ryan knew he wanted to talk but he just can't talk to them about this. He can't talk about his real parents with his sort of parents. Maybe he should have stayed in the pool house. He sighs and studies the person looking back at him. He gently prods the bruising around his half opened eye. At least he can see out of it pretty good now. His eyes drift to the bruising on his neck then to the impressive mass of purples on his side and stomach. There are bruises on his arms from being yanked around by his dad and Joe. No wonder Sandy and Kirsten keep looking at him like he's going to break. He pulls himself away from the sink and finishes getting undressed. Maybe he'd feel better after a shower. He steps under the shower head and leans his head against the tile, letting the water wash over him, enveloping him in warmth, soothing his aching muscles.

Seth had talked to Summer, filling her in on every detail. He felt better having talked to her. He really wanted to see her but he told her that it might be a couple of days before he could. He wanted to stick close to home in case Ryan needed him and he didn't know if Ryan would be ready for company any time soon. Summer had understood and found it very sweet that Seth wanted to be there for his "brother". Seth left his room and walked across the hall to peek in on Ryan. He knocks lightly and gets no answer so he opens the door and looks in. Seeing the bed empty, he steps into the room further and then hears the shower start. Understandable. He was probably feeling pretty ripe. He plops down on Ryan's bed to wait for him to come out. Wow. This bed is really comfortable. He's suddenly aware of how tired he is. Worrying about your brother can be exhausting. Maybe he'll close his eyes. Just for a minute.

Ryan doesn't know how long he's been in the shower but the water is starting to turn cold so he shuts it off. He dries himself off and pulls on a pair of sweats and steps out of the bathroom to find Seth asleep on his bed. He smiles and shakes his head and is about to wake him but realizes that the past day must've been hard on him, too. So, he just carefully lays down on the other side of the bed. He'll just let Seth rest a bit. He thought the shower would wake him up but instead it just tired him more. Before he knows it, his eyes get heavy and fall shut, joining Seth in a much needed slumber.

Sandy and Kirsten returned some messages left on their answering machine after sorting through message after message from reporters and nosy Newpsies and then decide to go upstairs and check on the boys. They stop at Seth's room and see it empty so they move across the hall. They stop and listen for any conversation, not wanting to interrupt in case Ryan is opening up to Seth or vice versa. Hearing nothing but silence they crack the door open and peer inside to see the boys sleeping side by side. Smiles form on each of their faces as they step quietly into the room. Kirsten grabs a throw blanket from a chair near the door and moves to the bed to cover them. The smile disappears as she gets a full look at Ryan's battered upper body. Sandy's smile now gone as well as he steps up beside her. Kirsten walks around the bed and lays the blanket across both boys, careful not to wake them. She gives Ryan a kiss on the forehead as Sandy gently brushes Seth's hair from his brow and does the same. They watch them sleep for a moment, making sure their actions haven't awakened them and exit the room, shutting the door quietly behind them.

They barely make it back downstairs and into the kitchen before Kirsten can't hold it in any longer. The tears start to fall as she says, "My God, Sandy. How could anyone do that to their own child? I don't understand it."

Sandy pulls her close and closes his eyes, unable to offer any words of comfort. He can't make sense of it himself. The thought of Ryan living with that man as a young boy turns his stomach. He has no false illusions that Dawn would have tried to protect him. Oh, maybe she did at first but considering the kind of men she has apparently always allowed into her life, and the way she seemed to consistently choose them over her sons, tells him that she'd long buried any maternal feelings, if she ever really had them, under a haze of booze or drugs. No wonder Ryan thinks he has to deal with things on his own. He's never had anyone there to turn to before. Maybe Trey, but Trey chose a wrong path to go down and nearly dragged Ryan down it with him, and something went down on Thanksgiving. Something not good. Ryan hasn't mentioned Trey since and he hadn't confided anything about his visit. At least not to him or Kirsten and if he told Seth, he kept it to himself. Marissa had gone with him, so she knew what happened and Sandy figured that as long as Ryan had someone he felt he could talk to about it then he'd leave it alone. Great job of parenting there, Sandy. He shakes his head. Marissa. He thought she'd be good for Ryan at first but she's turned out to be bad news. Dragging him into mess after mess. He was glad they'd broken it off. Marissa was definitely not what Ryan needed in his life. He'd had enough drama. His line of thought is broken as there's a knock at the kitchen door. He opens his eyes to see Caleb. His eyebrows raise as he starts to wave him in then remembering that they now kept that door locked. So he pulls back from Kirsten and tells her Caleb is here. She wipes her eyes and turns as Sandy walks to the door and opens it. "What can we do for you, Cal?"

"I just thought I'd check and see how Seth and the boy are doing", he says as he brushes past Sandy.

"'The boy' has a name, Caleb", Sandy says.

Caleb ignores him and turns his attention to Kirsten. "Kiki?", he prompts, noting the clear signs that she'd been crying. "Are you all right?"

Kirsten nods, "I'm fine dad. Just worried about Ryan. And Seth. Boys their age shouldn't have to be dealing with this kind of thing...and Ryan. He's so...battered. I..." she stops as she feels her eyes welling up again. She shakes her head. She needs to pull herself together.

"The boy...", Caleb starts. He stops at Sandy's glare and corrects himself, "Ryan...did seem a bit worse for wear. He seems to be holding up well, though."

"It's too soon to tell how well he's holding up, dad", Kirsten sighs as she pours herself a cup of coffee and offers Caleb and Sandy one. They all take a cup and sit at the kitchen table.

"She's right. While I have no doubt that Ryan could handle just about anything that's thrown at him, this is too much", Sandy states, echoing Seth's earlier comment. "I think this is too much for all of us. I think we need to call in a professional."

Kirsten looks at him with a furrowed brow. "Do you really think Ryan will go for that, Sandy?"

"It doesn't matter", Caleb interrupts. "You're the parents. Sometimes you have to do things your kids don't like, for their own good."

Sandy and Kirsten look at him, both with eyebrows raised and then exchange a glance with each other. He's right.

"You're right, dad. We can't keep following his lead. He's just a boy. We left too much to him when he first moved in. He seemed to adapt to the change in surroundings so quickly that I just left him to take care of himself unless he got into trouble and even then I left it to Sandy to deal with. We weren't wrong when we said we were in over our heads. Why didn't we see the truth in those words and follow through, Sandy?"

Sandy rubs his eyes. "Like you said, he seemed to adjust so quickly but looking back he was just doing what he's learned to do to survive. He molds himself to a situation. A volatile father. Dawn's volatile boyfriends. Going from Chino to Newport in the blink of an eye. Trying to be whoever the surroundings dictated him to be."

"How much of himself has he been allowing us to see?", Kirsten continues Sandy's train of thought. "How hard have we really tried to get to know him?", she finishes as they both fall silent.

Caleb flicks his eyes from one to the other before speaking. "Don't beat yourself up, Kiki. You've done a lot for the boy. It's clear that he's better off living here but you bit off more than you could chew when you took him in...now, wait, Sanford. Hear me out. You didn't think it through. You thought you could just bring him into your home and give him a better life and his past wouldn't matter. Clearly, it does and you were both foolish to think that there wouldn't be some serious baggage that came along with him. You know now. So get on with it", he says with a wave of his hand.

Kirsten and Sandy sit there stunned at the lecture, hearing the truth in the words. Sandy clears his throat and says, "Right. Well...". He's cut off by the ringing of the telephone. He jumps up to grab it, not wanting to wake the boys.

"Hello?...Agent Cook. No. No, it's not a bad time. Is there a problem? Oh. Right. No, that's fine. Yes, I do want to meet with you...Next week?...actually, I think the sooner we do this the better...No. Tomorrow morning isn't too soon...9:00? Yes, that would be fine. I don't think we should do it here. I don't want to risk Ryan overhearing. Could you meet me at my office?...Yes, the address is on my card. All right then. I'll see you in the morning. Thank you, Agent Cook". He hangs up and turns to Kirsten to explain. "He's finished his preliminary report and wanted to go over it with me. At the hospital he offered to fill me in on the series of events as he's been able to piece them together but I wanted to get back to Ryan right away. I don't think I should put it off. For whatever reason, Ryan didn't feel able to talk about what happened in front of me. If he doesn't feel he can share that with us then I think we need to get a clear picture of what happened for ourselves."

Kirsten stands up and moves toward him. "I want to be there, Sandy. You're right. The more we know, the more we'll be able to help him. I want to see his social services file, too, Sandy. I want to know it all", Kirsten declares.

"I don't know, honey. One of us should stay here. I don't want to leave the boys alone so soon", Sandy says.

"I could come over in the morning", Caleb offers. "I was going to work from home anyway. I can do it from over here just as easily."

Sandy looks at him closely for a moment. "All right. That will work. Ryan's probably not going to be up and around much, anyway. Ok. We'll both go and when we're done we can make some calls and choose someone for him to talk to professionally. Him and Seth, both. I don't want to minimize how hard this whole ordeal has hit him as well.

Kirsten offers a wan smile, "hell, Sandy, this whole ordeal has hit us all hard. Maybe we should all see them. Whoever we find could help us understand what Ryan might be going through and help us know the right way to deal with it."

Caleb stands and says, "Well, it appears that you have things under control. I'll be here in the morning."

Kirsten steps up to him and gives him a hug. "Thanks, dad", she softly says. Happy that he's finally opening his eyes to Ryan, even referring to him as one of their kids earlier. She wonders if he even realized he'd done it.

"Cal", Sandy says with a nod, which Caleb answers in kind as he exits onto the patio and heads home.

Sandy pulls Kirsten into another hug, feeling more confident that he'll be able to make good on his promise to Ryan that they'll pull him through this.


	21. Chapter 21

**Apologies for the delay. I couldn't get to the site on Friday for some reason, which left me with some extra time to mull over this chapter and I kept changing my mind and rewriting. I went over it again this morning and tweaked it yet again. I don't know if the extra time was a good thing or a bad thing but here it finally is. Oh, and a reminder about the AU status one should take when reading this because I have no idea of the actual time lines within the show and so, I'm still taking certain events that I've read in fanfics and some that I remember from the episodes I did actually see and twisting them to fit my tale. So I don't know if they fit in with canon or not. It's a crap shoot. lol. **

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Chapter Twenty One

After Caleb left, Sandy and Kirsten took the phone off the hook to stop the now steady barrage of phone calls from "concerned" Newpsies, and decided to check on the boys again before grabbing a little sleep themselves. It was still early in the day so they figured they'd grab some shut eye and then get the boys up for dinner. The boys were still sleeping, in roughly the same positions, so they headed off to their room and set the alarm to make sure they got up in a couple of hours so they could try to get Ryan to eat something. He hadn't had much of his hamburger at the hospital and they knew he probably didn't have anything left in his stomach from the day before. He needed to eat but they felt he needed the rest more right now.

However, they didn't end up getting any sleep at all. Once they'd settled into bed, they couldn't seem to shut off all of the thoughts bouncing around in their heads. So they started discussing therapists they could call. Kirsten had seen one after her mother died. They'd moved back to Newport when she had gotten sick, and her decline in health and subsequent passing had been hard on Kirsten. Seth had seen one in recent years. He'd had a hard time adjusting to the move to Newport. They thought he'd grow out of it and eventually settle in but he just never seemed to, never really making friends in school. Seeing him continue to remain so isolated had worried them so they'd had him go to a therapist to see if it would help. That reminder forced them to look, yet again, at their failure to take into account how difficult it would be for Ryan to adjust. If Seth had problems adjusting to Newport, then they can't even imagine the culture shock Ryan must've had. Again, they wondered what the hell they were thinking. Just because Ryan was older when he moved here that it'd be easier for him? Your teenage years can be difficult enough to navigate as it is and Ryan had a whole other set of things to contend with and they'd basically just been leaving him to flounder on his own to make his way through.

Guilt spurs them to get up after only an hour or so and they go to check on the boys. Sandy shakes his head as they peek in the door. Seth is now on his stomach sprawled out across about 70 percent of the bed, arms and legs splayed out in every which direction, using up the whole blanket and Ryan is all the way at the edge, looking like he could fall off at any moment. They go into the room, deciding they should wake Seth and move him to his own room for fear of him inadvertently hitting Ryan in one of his frequent repositionings, if he hadn't already.

Kirsten leans down and brushes Seth's hair out of his eyes as she whispers, "Seth, sweetie..." Seth grumbles something as he flips over, ignoring her. She smiles and tries again, a little louder. "Seth. Come on, honey. You need to move to your room."

Seth's head raises and he looks squint-eyed up at her and then surveys the room."Huh?...My room?" He turns his head to see Ryan and sits up. "Oh. Guess I fell asleep. I was waiting for him to come out of the shower so we could tal...", he stops abruptly as he takes in Ryan's bruises. "Damn", he whispers.

Kirsten reaches out and turns his head back to her. "Come on, sweetie. Let's let him rest a bit more.", she softly says as she urges him to get up and follow her out of the room.

Once they go, Sandy kneels beside the bed on Ryan's side, pulling the blanket back over him. Ryan stirs slightly at the action. He sighs and turns his head away from Sandy, leaving the left side of his face in full view. Sandy's gut clenches every time he sees it. He gets up and just as he's turning to leave Ryan's eyes flutter open and drift around the room. He startles slightly as he turns and registers someone in the room with him. Realizing it's just Sandy, he smiles. "Hey. Is everything ok?", he says as he tries to sit up.

"Sorry, kid. Didn't mean to wake you. You don't have to get up", Sandy says, as he leans down and places a hand on Ryan's shoulder so he lays back down. "Everything is fine. Seth was hogging the bed so we moved him to his own room. Why don't you move over a little. I don't want you to fall off the bed and hurt yourself", he says with a nod toward the middle of the bed.

Ryan chuckles as he says, "I've never fallen off the bed in my life. Do people really do that?"

"Seth", Sandy says with a smile. "He's always flopped around in his sleep. When he was a little boy and slept in our bed with us, I'd often be awakened by his little hand smacking me in the face. Sometimes even a foot", he chuckles. "and when he slept in his own bed we had one side up against the wall and put a rail up on the other side or he'd end up on the floor. Even as he's grown up he's been known to be found there when we'd go to wake him for school", he says with an amused shake of the head. "So humor me", he says as he helps Ryan slide over.

"You think you can go back to sleep or have I ruined that for you?", Sandy says with a sheepish smile.

"Um, I think I'm pretty much awake now...", he replies as he pictures Seth as a little boy, safely tucked between Sandy and Kirsten, moving around freely. He can't imagine ever sleeping in the same bed with his parents. He shared a bed with Trey when he was little and, as safe as he felt with Trey, you never knew when someone might come bursting into the room in some drunken stupor for whatever reason. Either someone angry over some trivial thing and insisting one of them was responsible, or Dawn because her man of the week had knocked her around. Sometimes she'd be sobbing and seeking comfort and other times she faulted them for the asshole's mood. Oddly enough, as much as he hated it, he figures the safest place there was when he was a boy was when he was locked in the closet. Once you were locked in there, Frank pretty much forgot about you. For a while anyway. It was the same with the assholes in Chino. Only the closet was traded for the basement when you'd stepped out of line. It wasn't so bad when he was locked in with Trey. He hated the dark but he could handle it if he knew someone was there with him...Someone alive, that is. He shudders at the thought of being in the basement with Joe's body.

Sandy sees the shudder and watches as a shadow fall across Ryan's face and decides to feel things out. "Want to talk about it?"

Ryan's eyes flick to his. "No", he answers as he tries to push himself into an upright position. This time Sandy helps him up and adjusts a pillow behind him and then takes a seat on the bed. "I was just...it's nothing. Really." He goes to pull the blanket up a little and glances down at himself and realizes he hadn't put a t-shirt on after his shower. He pulls the blanket up further to cover it as a frown forms on his face. Shit. No wonder he wants to talk.

"Ryan", Sandy says softly. "they'll fade", he says of the bruises. "You've been through a lot. It's going to take time to heal. Physically and emotionally. I'm here if you want to talk. It might help."

Ryan shakes his head. "No, I...I'm fine."

Sandy sighs, not really intending to push this right now. He'd intended to make sure Ryan knew he was there to listen if he needed but he hadn't planned on pushing it until he'd had a chance to recover a bit. "You're not fine, kid. Have you taken a good hard look at yourself?"

Ryan eyes narrow and he replies, "Yeah, Sandy, I have. What went down was harsh but I'm ok. Or I will be."

"That's all I'm trying to make sure of, kid", Sandy says as his eyes urge Ryan to open up to him.

Ryan gives a frustrated sigh. "You've seen my social services file. I know you have. So you know this isn't the first time I've had my ass kicked. Severely. By my dad or some other prick my mom brought home. I dealt with it then and I'll deal with it now."

"You're right. I have seen your file and we should have talked about it before. I know you've had it rough, son, but I don't want you to downplay this and just chalk it up to being par for the course. I'm not just talking about your physical injuries. Your dad...", he starts to say before being cut off.

"I'm not your son. My dad...is dead", Ryan says, getting angry now, "I don't have to worry about him anymore. I'm not downplaying anything, Sandy. I know what he did. I know who he was. I don't need you to tell me and I don't need to talk about it. Talking isn't going to change a thing", he says pointedly. He runs a hand down his face and takes a deep breath, causing a pained grimace to cross his face.

Sensing a wall going up, Sandy backs off a little. He doesn't want the kid to completely shut down on him but he's not ready to concede this little battle just yet. "I'm sorry, Ryan. I don't blame you for not wanting to talk about it and I'm not going to push you to right now, but I'm not just going to let it go. Not this time. You don't have to deal with everything on your own anymore. If you can't talk to me or to Kirsten, we want to make sure you have someone there that you can", he says gently as he reaches out to give his hand a squeeze but his heart drops as Ryan pulls away, refusing to make eye contact. He withdraws his hand with a sigh, thinking that just this morning he was holding this boy in his arms. He hopes he hasn't set them back by pushing things too soon.

Ryan sees Sandy's hand pull back out of the corner of his eye and he inwardly grimaces at the sigh of disappointment he hears. He deflates a little. "You think I need a shrink?", he asks softly.

"I think", Sandy says as reaches out again, and tilts Ryan's head up, "you have just gone through a terrible thing. Something anyone would have a hard time coming to terms with, and we just want to make sure the bases are covered. You're too important to us to risk this all hurting you more than it already has. Will you give it a try? That's all I ask."

Ryan holds his gaze a moment then looks away, not giving an answer.

"Look, just think about it, all right? I won't bring it up again until you've had time to regroup. Ok?" He pauses a moment before shifting gears. "You must be getting hungry. Why don't I go see if I can come up with something for you to eat?"

Ryan remains silent but lifts his head and makes eye contact before slowly nodding. He starts to throw the blanket back to get out of bed but Sandy stops him.

"Whoa, kid. You stay put. We don't want you going up and down those stairs too much just yet. I'll bring it up to you, ok? While I'm taking care of that, how about you use this thing here and do those breathing exercises the nurse showed you", he says as he grabs the deep breathing device sitting on the nightstand next to the bed. "Or do you want to wait until you've eaten and gotten a pain pill in you?"

"No, that's ok. I'll do it now", Ryan says as he takes it from Sandy.

"Ok", Sandy pauses a moment before asking, "are we ok, kid?"

Ryan studies the plastic contraption a moment before looking up. "Yeah. We're good", he says with a small smile. He knows Sandy is just trying to help.

Feeling Ryan is being truthful, relief floods through Sandy's body as he nods and exits the room. Maybe he didn't blow it.

Across the hall Seth, too, was now wide awake. Kirsten is sitting beside him on the bed as he contemplates Ryan's state. "How is he even able to walk around? I'd be curled up in a fetal position sucking my thumb", he says as his knee starts bouncing up and down.

"I know, honey", Kirsten says as she rests her hand on his knee, stilling the movement. "He'll heal."

Seth nods and then grabs Captain Oats and studies his plastic friend. "I was waiting to talk to him when I fell asleep but I really have no idea what to say to him", he admits as he looks over at his mother. "Do I ask him about what happened? Do I pretend like everything's normal? What do I do, mom?"

Kirsten sighs, "Oh, honey. Your father and I are struggling with those very questions. I'm afraid we're all just flying blind". She puts an arm around him and goes on, "We're thinking of calling in the pros."

Seth ponders that a moment and then nods acceptingly. "I guess this qualifies for head shrinkage more than the typical trials and tribulations that send Newpsies to The Couch."

"Seth, don't minimize other people's problems", she reprimands. "Running to a therapist might seem second nature to people around here but it doesn't mean they don't have legitimate problems."

Seth holds up his hands in defeat. "Ok. Ok. I guess Marissa Cooper is proof enough of that...and the Wards", he concedes. It can't be easy to find out your husband, and father of your three kids, is not only having an affair but one with another man. Seth can't help but think it's some kind of poetic justice for Luke and his homophobic ass to end up having a gay dad. Call him insensitive but that guy's had some bad karma coming his way for a long time. He has to admit that he does feel kinda bad for him, though. His whole family's fallen apart.

Kirsten's voice pulls him out of his thoughts. "Honey, how did you like the therapist we sent you to? Dr. Westcott?", she asks. "Were you comfortable with him? Did it help you to talk to him?"

"Yeah. He was pretty cool", Seth answers.

"Do you think Ryan would like him?", she inquires hesitantly.

"Uh, I don't know. Maybe. If you can get him in the door", Seth says with a shrug.

"Well, I think we're going to need your help there, sweetie. I'm going to call the therapist I went to after your grandmother died and we'll see if Dr. Westcott is available as well. That way he can have his pick of a man or woman. Whoever he'd be more comfortable with but, like you said, it's going to be a matter of getting him through the door. It would help if you could talk to him? Maybe let him know your experience with Dr. Westcott to let him know that talking to someone doesn't make you a mental case.", she says with a hopeful smile.

Seth nods. "I can do that. When are you going to drop this bomb on him? I mean, he hasn't even been home a whole day yet."

"We're playing it by ear but, you're right, maybe we should give him some time to decompress", she says before smiling at him, "by the way, sweetie...it's not just Ryan that's going to go."

"What? I don't need...", Seth starts to protest.

Kirsten pats him on the leg, "Honey, you're going...and so are Sandy and I. We think it would be a good idea for all of us to have someone to talk to about this. If for nothing else than to seek advice in how to help Ryan. To know when to push and when not to. All right?"

Seth opens his mouth and closes it a couple of times, not really wanting to go back but unable to deny that it might be a good idea. He has no idea how to help Ryan deal with having seen his own father kill two men and then be killed right in front of him. Yep. Definitely out of his realm.

Sandy knocks softly and enters. "Hey. Everything ok in here?"

Kirsten stands up and tells him that she's just filled Seth in on their plan to bring in a therapist.

Sandy nods. "Good, because I just went for broke and laid that idea on him", he says with a sigh as he plops down on the bed in the spot Kirsten just vacated.

Kirsten's eyebrows raise, "Oh, honey. Isn't that a bit soon? I know we've been talking about it but he's barely been home...Seth and I were just..."

Sandy holds a hand up to stop her. "I know. I know. I didn't mean to do it just then but there was an opening and I took it. I nearly screwed up royally in doing so but I think I managed to salvage things. I'm supposed to be on my way downstairs to rustle up something for him to eat."

"Did you just say 'rustle'?", Seth shakes his head as he stands up. "You do that, pardner. You go rustle him up some viddles and I'll mosey on over and see if I need to do any more damage control", Seth says as he heads toward Ryan's room.

Kirsten sits beside Sandy. "It's all right, honey. We'll figure this out. We have to", she says as she takes his hand in hers.

"I know. It's just that he was _this_ close to completely shutting down on me. I could have really messed up. If we hadn't already been thinking of calling someone in to help, I'd be thinking it now. He's just in such a vulnerable place right now. I don't want to tip him over the edge."

Kirsten gives his hand a squeeze. "You didn't, Sandy. You said you pulled it out, right?" At his nod, she continues, "we're going to make mistakes. We just have to make sure we realize it when we do. We're so wrapped up in all the ways we've failed him, maybe we're being too impatient in wanting to make it up to him. We'll go talk to Agent Cook in the morning and then we'll see if we can meet with Dr. Westcott and Dr. Hart soon so we can run the situation by them and figure out a plan of action but right now we have a hungry boy to feed."

Kirsten stands up and pulls Sandy with her. He pulls her into a hug and says, "I love you." Kirsten responds in kind and they head downstairs.

Seth had entered the room just as Ryan set the breathing apparatus back on the nightstand. "Hey, dude", he says and flops into the chair by the door.

Ryan says, "Hey" back and then asks if Seth can hand him a shirt from his dresser.

"Sure, dude...here you go", he says as he hands him a t-shirt. He stands beside the bed and watches Ryan struggle to get it on, awkwardly reaching out to help but then drawing his hand back, not know if he should help or not. At Ryan's pained grunt as he lifts his arms over his head, Seth goes ahead and helps him pull it down.

Once finished, Ryan sighs and sits back, "Thanks man", he says with an embarrassed shake of the head.

"Don't they usually wrap someone's ribs when they're broken?", Seth questions.

Ryan shrugs, "they don't like to do that so much any more. The risk of pneumonia and all that. You have to wrap them tight to do any good and when you do that you can't take deep enough breaths to expand your lungs well enough to keep them clear."

Seth frowns. "I don't remember the doc saying anything about that".

"He didn't. This isn't the first time I've had broken ribs", Ryan says matter of fact as he leans his head back and looks up at the ceiling.

"Hmmm. Yeah, so...I don't even know what to say to that", Seth admits.

Ryan turns his head slightly, "You don't have to say anything."

Seth nods. "Ok. Good. Then I'll do that."

An uncomfortable silence emerges and Seth begins to nervously fidget. Filling one cheek with air and then poking it with his finger, dispelling the air with an accompanying noise. At Ryan's glare he gets up and starts wandering the room, clicking his tongue, until he stops beside Ryan's bed and sits down on it, picking up the deep breathing thingy. He unhooks the tube and puts the mouthpiece in his mouth and blows. He frowns when the little floaty thing doesn't rise.

Ryan, whose been watching Seth's every move with increasing annoyance, laughs suddenly. "You don't blow in it, dude. You inhale. It's supposed to help you expand your lungs".

"Oh, yeah. Right", he says as he tries again. He inhales and hoots in triumph as the little plastic piece floats up to the mark the nurse had set.

Ryan shakes his head and then says, "Go wash it off. I don't want your slobber all over it."

"Hey, you don't see me complaining about your slobber"

"You don't slobber when you're sucking air in. You probably blew your spit all over in there", he says with raised eyebrows. Seth rolls his eyes and gets up and goes into the bathroom to rinse it off. He comes back out and then proceeds to bring the mouthpiece to his lips again and plays with it some more, causing Ryan to roll his eyes in exasperation. "Now you're going to have to wash it out again, dude." They continue to banter back and forth about nothing until Sandy and Kirsten enter the room.

"Everything all right in here?", Sandy asks as he sets a tray across Ryan's lap.

Ryan smiles and nods. "Yeah. Except for Seth spitting in my breathing thing".

Sandy raises an eyebrow at Seth.

"I didn't spit in it!", Seth says indignantly. "Besides, even if I did, I rinsed it out", he huffs.

"And then you spit in it again!", Ryan exclaims.

This time Sandy raises both eyebrows in amusement. Leave it to Seth to distract with nonsense.

Kirsten sits down on the bed beside Ryan. "We thought soup and a grilled cheese sandwich might be a safe thing to try. We'll see how that goes down and then if you're still hungry you can eat a little something else with us when we have dinner in a little while. That sound ok, honey?" At Ryan's nod she holds out her hand and urges Ryan to take his pills.

Ryan does as instructed with the pills but then makes no attempt to eat his soup or sandwich. He looks at Kirsten and then Sandy and, when they don't take the hint, he finally says, "Uh, guys? You're not all going to sit here and watch me eat, are you?"

"Oh", Sandy says with a smile. "I guess that would be a little weird, huh? Ok, we'll leave you to eat in peace. Come on, Kirsten."

Kirsten rises and leans forward, rubbing a hand gently up and down Ryan's arm and places a kiss on the top of his head. "We'll be right downstairs if you need anything. Seth? Bring down his tray when he's done?" Seth nods in agreement and she and Sandy leave the room.

Seth settles back in the chair as Ryan takes a few bites of his sandwich and a few spoonfuls of soup. He then stops and eyes Seth for a moment. "Have they talked to you about me seeing a shrink?", he asks straight out.

Seth meets his gaze and nods. "Yep. And not just you, dude. They want me to go, too."

"Really?"

"Yep. It's no big deal. I went to one before and so has mom", Seth says with a shrug.

"You have?", he says questioningly.

Seth nods again. "Oh yeah. It's the Newport way, dude", he says nonchalantly as he flips through a comic he'd picked up off of Ryan's dresser. "They thought I was spending too much time alone and, I don't know, thought I might go all Columbine or something and made me go see someone."

Ryan contemplates this information as he takes another bite of the sandwich. After he swallows he asks, "How long did you go?"

"A couple of months I guess. They made me promise to give it a real chance and then after that I could stop any time I wanted. It kind of became clear that the ones that should have been seeing him were the Neanderthals who thought pissing in my shoes was a worthwhile hobby. But it did feel good to have someone to talk to about it", he throws in as he risks a glance at Ryan.

Ryan's looking down into his soup, brow furrowed. "You went to a guy shrink?"

"Yeah. Mom and dad had picked out a couple. A man and a woman and let me choose. I didn't particularly feel like telling some woman that the reason I wasn't socializing with anyone was because I was a huge geek. So I went with the guy. Besides, I figured that any guy that became a psychiatrist or whatever was probably more toward the geek end of the scale than the popular end, so I didn't think he'd look at me like a loser when I told him why I hated school so much."

Ryan nods. That makes sense. He probably would have gone with the guy, too, had he been in Seth's urine filled shoes. "Why did Kirsten go?", he asks, though not quite feeling right about it. He should be asking her and not talking about her behind her back, but he really wanted to know.

"She had a hard time after grandma died. She went for a few months I think. I didn't even know about it until they asked me to go", Seth answers. He smiles inwardly as Ryan appears to be becoming more open to the idea. Just call him Super Bro.

Ryan falls silent, filing away the information and finishing his meal.

Seth takes his tray downstairs and give his parents the thumbs up. "I think he may do the shrink thing."

"Really?", Sandy and Kirsten say in unison.

"Well, let's not jump the gun but he asked me if you'd talked to me about it and I told him that you asked me to go, too. Then he asked a few questions and I answered. I kinda downplayed the whole thing. I told him you went before, mom. Is that ok?", Seth asks.

She pulls him into a hug, "Honey, if you can get him to go, you can tell him anything you want about me."

Seth perks up at that. "Really? You mean I can tell him about that perm you got that one year? Do we still have pictures of that? That right there nearly sent me into therapy."

Sandy laughs and at Kirsten's glare, says, "I'm sorry, honey. You could never be anything but beautiful but that...that was a bad call." He starts laughing harder at the memory of the look on Seth's face when he came home from school and saw his mother's new look. The curls were so tight she looked like a poodle.

Kirsten smacks him on the arm. "It's not funny, Sandy. That whole incident was very traumatic", she tries to say firmly but dissolves into laughter herself. "I swear that hairdresser had it in for me. The curls were not supposed to be that small. It didn't look anything like the picture I'd shown her." She shakes her head at the memory of wearing hats and bandannas until enough time had passed and she could have it fixed by another hairdresser.

While the Cohens are downstairs allowing themselves to be distracted by laughter in relief that Ryan may be open to seeing a therapist, Ryan is upstairs mulling over what he's learned. Seth and Kirsten only went for a few months and if they'd allowed Seth to choose when he could stop, maybe they'd do the same with him. He knew their hearts were in the right place so maybe he'd go. He owed them that much and if he can just go and convince the shrink in question that he's got everything under control, he can just quit going after a few weeks and everyone will be happy. He lets out a relieved sigh at having made the decision and settles back into bed.

The rest of the night goes by uneventful. Ryan does join the Cohens for dinner. Or, they join him for dinner in his bedroom, still not wanting him to overexert himself by going down the stairs. They keep the conversation light and, when Ryan mentions how tired the meds make him and his eyes start drooping again, they make their exit and all end up turning in early. Kirsten and Sandy wanting to get a good night's sleep and mentally prepare themselves for what Agent Cook is going to tell them about what Ryan went through at the hands of his father. They had a feeling that tomorrow was going to be another long day.


	22. Chapter 22

Chapter Twenty Two

The next morning, Ryan wakes slowly, surprised he slept through the night. He stiffly gets out of bed and grabs some clothes before heading to the bathroom. The shower is long and hot and makes him feel much better. The full night's sleep left him feeling more clearheaded and the shower has soothed his muscles. He actually feels human. Until he catches himself in the mirror again. He shakes off his thoughts, refusing to let himself dwell. What's done is done. Yeah, he looks like shit but there's nothing he can do about that. He gets dressed, slowly. Bending over is a bitch on his ribs and doesn't really do his bruised abdomen any favors either. Fucking Frank. He takes a breath and pushes his thoughts back again, resolving to go downstairs and grab something to eat. The sooner he gets back to normal the better.

He's surprised that Kirsten or Sandy hadn't been in yet. Maybe they're still sleeping. They've got to be tired, too, after constantly checking on him. It seemed like every time he woke up they were somewhere nearby. Maybe they had been in. He's been so damn tired they could have been in and checked on him and he just didn't realize it. He's usually such a light sleeper, the idea that someone could enter his room and approach him without him sensing it makes him uneasy. He shakes his head at the thought. He's living with the Cohens. He has nothing to fear from them. Ryan makes his way down the stairs and into the kitchen and comes to a dead stop. Caleb? He looks at the clock and back at the kitchen table where Caleb is sitting, papers strewn everywhere. What is Caleb doing here at 8:15 in the morning?

Caleb looks up from his work and greets, "Good morning, Ryan", and then looks back down.

"Grandpa's babysitting", Seth states out of nowhere.

Ryan's brow furrows as he turns toward Seth who is seated at the center island eating cereal.

Noting the look on Ryan's face, he says flatly, "Yeah. That was pretty much my reaction. What are we? Two?" He shoves another spoonful of cereal in his mouth and says, "want thome thereal?", as milk trickles down the side of his chin.

Ryan wrinkles his nose and says, "gross, dude. Swallow before you talk." He throws a glance at Caleb and then sits on the stool next to Seth and grabs the box of cereal. Reaching in and eating it dry.

"So where are Sandy and Kirsten?", Ryan asks in between mouthfuls.

"They had some stuff to take care of this morning and I think they were going to run by their work and check in. They said they wouldn't be out too long", Seth answers. They'd informed him of their agenda and none of them were quite sure how Ryan would react to knowing they were meeting with Agent Cook, so they'd agreed to keep things vague unless Ryan asked about it straight out.

Ryan frowns at the thought of what "stuff" they might have to take care of but he really doesn't want to stress about that so he says nothing and continues to munch on some cereal.

Seth asks, "why don't you eat your cereal in a bowl? With, like, milk, like normal people?"

Ryan looks over, amused, and says, "I've been here how long, and you're just now asking me that?"

Seth shrugs. "I've fleetingly wondered but it usually never made it past the 'oh, it's just a Ryan thing' stage, kinda like Ally Sheedy in The Breakfast Club with her crushing Cap'n Crunch on her sandwich. Only, yeah, cereal straight from the box isn't such a creative quirk so you really need to work on that."

"Whatever, dude", Ryan says with a shake of his head before tossing out, "it's just habit. There wasn't any milk in the house most of the time so me and Trey got used to eating it dry." A thought dawns on him. Shit. Trey. He needs to talk to Trey. He'd want to know what's going on, if he hadn't already seen it on the news. "Do you know if anyone's called my brother?", he asks as he stands suddenly.

Seth startles at the shift. "Uh...I don't know, dude. You can ask dad when they get home but, honestly, I don't think it's crossed their minds. I mean, everything happened kinda fast and all they've been concerned about is you."

"I need to talk to him", Ryan states as he grabs the phone.

"Whoa. Hold up, dude. Why don't you..."

Ryan shakes his head and cuts him off, "No. I need to talk to him. He should know about...about Frank." He starts to dial information but then stops and just stares at the phone. Frank. Is dead. He needs to be buried. Is he supposed to be taking care of that? Of course he is. Trey's locked up so he can't do it and Dawn is who knows where. That leaves him.

Seth throws a pleading look to Caleb, who has been quietly following the conversation.

As he starts to get up from the table, Ryan turns to him and asks, "Do you know what's going to happen? To my...to Frank? What happens to his body? Am I supposed to..."

Caleb is taken aback at the lost look in the boy's eyes. He approaches and says, "Ryan, just slow down for a minute. All right?" Ryan stops but Caleb can see in his eyes that his mind is clearly still going a mile a minute. Why don't I call Sanford and ask if Trey has been informed of the situation and we'll go from there. All right?" Ryan nods as his gaze drifts past him and he stares out at the patio blankly. "Seth? Why don't you take Ryan into the family room while I call your parents", Caleb says calmly.

Seth, who has been chewing his thumb and nervously shifting from foot to foot, jumps at the suggestion, glad that Caleb is taking charge because he hasn't a clue what to do.

"Come on, dude. Let's sit out here. You're not supposed to be walking around too much anyway". He leads him into the family room as Ryan follows absently.

Caleb watches as they sit and he steps out onto the patio to make the call. He tries Sandy first but it goes right to voice mail. Damn. He leaves a message that a situation has come up with Ryan and that he should return his call right away. He then tries Kirsten and the same thing happens. Either they both forgot to turn their cells back on or they're somewhere that's not getting good reception. He sighs. He's not equipped to handle this. He had only offered to stay with the boys because he figured that Ryan would be laid up and Seth would be occupied with him. He makes one more call, this time to Sandy's office, where they were to meet Agent Cook. They haven't arrived yet so he leaves the same message, urging one of them to call as soon as possible. All right. He's negotiated million dollar deals and talked his way out of, or into, any number of situations. Surely he could negotiate with a teenage boy.

He enters the house and approaches both boys in the family room, where Seth is quietly talking to Ryan, not sure if Ryan is really hearing him. He looks up at Caleb with a hopeful look in his eyes. Caleb sits on the coffee table across from them and clears his throat. This instantly shakes Ryan from his thoughts and he meets Caleb's eyes. "I was unable to reach Sandy and Kirsten but I've left a message." Ryan's brow furrows and he quickly continues, "I'll tell you what, Ryan. I'll make a few calls to see what I can find out about the situation with...with your dad...". He clears his throat again. He sure as shit won't be offering to "babysit" again anytime soon. "I'll call the...I'll find out where he is and what needs to be done. I'll take care of it, Ryan."

Ryan shakes his head. "No. No, he's my...responsibility. I can't ask you to do that."

"You're not asking. I'm offering. Besides, how would you pay for it?", Caleb says and then winces inwardly at the shamed look that crosses Ryan's face. "Ryan", he says to get Ryan's attention. When he looks at him he continues, "I'll find out what needs to be done but I won't make any decisions without your input. We'll...work out the money later."

Ryan chews his lip for a minute and then nods. "Ok. I'll pay you back. I...can get a job or work it off or...something. I'll pay you back", he states firmly, looking Caleb right in the eye.

Caleb studies the boy and sees that he fully intends to. He thinks back to Kirsten telling him how he resisted going to Harbor at first because it was too expensive and how he got a job so he wouldn't need to take pocket money from her and Sandy. He's struck again by how wrong he was about this boy.

Ryan's voice pulls him out of his thoughts, "I still need to talk to Trey...in person."

"Dude, I get why you need to but do you think it's going to do Trey any good to see you like that?", Seth chimes in as he gestures to Ryan's battered appearance.

Ryan turns to look at him and then sighs and closes his eyes. He's right. Trey will freak the fuck out.

Caleb speaks again, "why don't you hold off on that a few days. Give yourself a little time to heal and then Sanford can drive you."

Ryan frowns, "but, if he's seen the news...he's...I should at least let him know I'm ok".

"I'll call and get a message to him and then he can call you back. We'll leave your cell number since the home number has been either off the hook or tied up with those damned reporters calling", Caleb suggests.

Ryan nods in acceptance and Caleb asks if he knows the number. Ryan shakes his head. Seth tells him that Sandy should have it in his office, which sends Caleb upstairs.

Ryan tells Seth that his phone probably needs charging and asks where it is. Seth gets it from Ryan's bedroom, where Kirsten had put it, along with his keys, that had been in his pockets when he was brought to the hospital. They didn't know what had happened to his wallet. Seth plugs the phone into the charger on the kitchen counter and returns to Ryan's side.

"You ok, dude?", Seth asks.

Ryan blows out a breath and then says, "Sorry man. I kinda freaked out there for a minute. I'm ok now."

Caleb comes back into the room and informs Ryan that he's called and left the message but that Trey won't be able to call back until after 10:00, when they're allowed to make phone calls. He'd had to throw his weight around in order for them to allow a call made to a number not on the approved list, and to get the message to Trey in the first place. Ryan thanks him and leans back in the couch, suddenly feeling very exhausted again.

Caleb's phone rings and he walks back out onto the patio as he answers. It's Sandy, frantically wanting to know what's wrong. Caleb fills him in and listens as Sandy passes the information along to Kirsten. He comes back on the phone and says that they'll put off the meeting with Agent Cook and come right back home. Caleb nixes that idea, saying that they should go through with the meeting and assures that he's got everything under control here. He'll follow through with handling the burial arrangements for Frank Atwood, just as he told Ryan and Trey won't even be allowed access to the phones until after ten and even then he'll probably have to wait his turn, so they should be able to be back before Ryan deals with that. He tells them that Ryan seems ok now and that he'll call them if he deems it necessary for them to return right away.

After a brief hesitation Sandy agrees and hangs up. Moments later, Agent Cook arrives, walking into a very tense room.

"Is everything all right, Mr. and Mrs. Cohen?", Agent Cook asks.

Sandy brushes a hand across his face as he stands to greet him. "Not really, Agent Cook", he admits as he shakes his hand. "...and, please, it's Sandy and Kirsten." He motions for the agent to take a seat.

"All right, Sandy. Kirsten. Please, call me Jason", he says as he takes in their worried faces. "Is it Ryan?", he asks, already knowing the answer. The kid's got to be having a rough time.

Kirsten nods as she wrings her hands. "We thought he'd be all right this morning but a new unforeseen crisis, that really shouldn't have been, has developed."

Agent Cook offers to meet with them another time if they'd rather get back to him but they briefly run down the situation and say it might be best to just take care of this now. He pulls out a folder containing pictures along with his preliminary report. He starts to remove the pictures but Kirsten stops him.

"No, Agen...Jason. Leave them", Kirsten says shakily.

Sandy and Agent Cook both start to protest but she waves them off.

"No, Sandy. We need to see it", she says, suddenly understanding with full clarity why Seth had to go into their house right after the crime scene investigators left. "I need to see it. All of it."

At Sandy's nod Agent Cook opens the folder and begins to piece things together. He tells them that Ryan witnessed Alan being shot the moment he'd opened the door, leaving him with virtually no chance. They look at the picture of Alan's body, seeing a gruesome snapshot of the horror that Ryan had witnessed in their very house. Kirsten takes a deep breath and encourages Agent Cook to go on. He relays what Ryan told him about making a run for it and not making it and filling in what they could piece together from the scene. The small amount of blood in the kitchen was most likely Ryan's and most likely a result of the head wound that may have come from a blow from the butt of the gun Frank had. He was then placed in the van, driven a ways and transferred to the trunk of the car, where he stayed until they reached the house. Sandy and Kirsten had remembered that from the phone call Ryan managed to get out. Agent Cook states that the bruising on Ryan's neck was from his father and was a result of, as Ryan had put it, having made Frank mad. He then informs them that Ryan was taken down to the basement, where Joe was killed as he started up the stairs. Sandy closed his eyes at the thought of Ryan actually seeing two people murdered. By his own father's hand. He'd been hanging onto the hope that Ryan hadn't actually been in the rooms when they were killed. Agent Cook gives them a moment as they look at the next picture. It's a picture of Joe's body in the basement. He points out the water and food in the corner and states that it appears that Frank had planned on keeping Ryan there for some time. Seeing Ryan's wallet in the photo reminds Agent Cook to return it to them. He pulls it out of his briefcase and hands it to Sandy, who takes it quietly and reverently fingers it in his hands.

Agent Cook gives them a moment before going on. This last part was going to be the hardest for them to take. He takes a breath and begins. "Frank went down into the basement, seeking out more money. That's why Ryan's wallet was on the floor of the basement in that photo. He heard the helicopter and went upstairs to check it out. In doing so he left the door open and Ryan made a run for it. He was tackled on the lawn, punched, and dragged back inside, which was where we came in. Just before S.W.A.T. rushed the house...", he pauses as he looks them in the eyes.

Sandy and Kirsten tense knowing they weren't going to want to hear this but they had to.

Agent Cook continues, "...apparently Frank was going to shoot Ryan. Ryan saw it coming and managed to retrieve a knife from his pocket...one that he'd found on Joe's person as he was trying to find a way out of the basement...".

Sandy stands and starts to pace. Jesus. His boy had to search a dead body.

"...he stabbed Frank in the arm and then managed to knock his gun hand and deflect the shot. Which is when S.W.A.T. came in and took down Mr. Atwood before he could get the gun turned back on Ryan", Agent Cook finishes.

Sandy is standing looking out a window and Kirsten is sitting quietly, stunned. "He stabbed him. So Frank was close when he tried to...", her voice trails off.

Agent Cook nods. "Yes. I asked Ryan if he had to move toward Frank but he said he didn't have to. That Frank was "close". The way he said it implied to me that Frank was very close when it became clear to Ryan that he was about to shoot him. He and Frank were in a struggle for control of the gun when Frank was shot and Ryan was pulled to the floor with him as he went down, which knocked him unconscious."

"My God", Sandy chokes out as he shakes his head, still looking out the window. He couldn't fathom it. Ryan had seen three people violently killed. One being his own father, who had just tried to take his life, and had probably been close enough to feel his breath on his face as the man was shot by police. He turns and numbly walks back to take a seat next to Kirsten again, who is now openly crying as she looks at the final photo. A picture of the last thing that Ryan saw that night. Frank Atwood's lifeless eyes. She whispers, "I want to go home". She needed to be with Ryan.


	23. Chapter 23

**All right, peeps. Here's the next one. Finally. lol. My muse has gone slightly schizophrenic on me the past few chapters, where I start with one thing and then change it. I had this one nearly written and then decided I didn't like it and scrapped the whole thing and came up with this. I had originally intended to do some more with Agent Cook, and wrote more between him and the Cohens before they headed back home but after writing it all out I reread it and it just didn't flow well. Not to mention feeling like it was a bit repetitive and overly expository. lol. I can't guarantee this is any better. lol. At any rate, I ended up going in an entirely different direction. Thus the delay. Which, let's just say that any updates that come two days in a row will be a bonus and more the exception to the rule from here on out. The time I usually have to write in the mornings has been cut down drastically so I have to squeeze it in here and there over the course of a day and it's just taking me longer. So, they'll most likely come every two or three days. **

** One more thing. I huge thank you for the reviews. I'm glad everyone is still interested. lol. Beachtree, love, you rock. Your detailed comments are awesome. You never miss a thing and some of what you said may have seeped in here as I was writing. So, thanks for the input, as always. And to yvonne, ah yes. My ever changing tenses. lol. I am aware and have been since the start but for some reason, as I sit down to write a chapter I just can't seem to decide which tense I want to write this damn thing in and so I flip flop. This is where the fresh eyes of a beta would come in handy. I catch myself sometimes, but I'm sure I miss a lot and one of these days I'll read through the whole of what I have done and make some serious corrections. I'm sure there are plenty of grammatical, and punctuational mistakes in there, too. lol. **

** Ok, enough of that... **

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Chapter Twenty Three

Upon returning home, Sandy and Kirsten find Seth and Ryan in the family room. Seth is quietly playing a game, seated on the floor, leaning against the couch, which Ryan is sitting on. Kirsten rushes over and hugs him, whispering apologies for being gone this morning. Sandy watches Ryan as Kirsten fusses over him. He's not resistant to her hug and mothering touches but he's not exactly looking too comfortable with them either and he looks tired and maybe in a little pain.

"Ryan? Are you feeling all right?", Sandy asks as he walks further into the room. "Are you in pain?"

Kirsten pulls back a little and takes a good look at him and asks if he's taken any of his pills this morning. Ryan simply shakes his head with a frown.

Seth looks over and then chimes in, "they make him tired and he doesn't want to miss Trey's call."

It's then that Sandy and Kirsten notice Ryan tightly clutching his cell phone in his hand. Kirsten offers to get Ryan some Tylenol at least and he nods in agreement to that. Kirsten brushes his hair off his forehead and leaves the room to get the Tylenol and some water. She stops to talk to Caleb in the kitchen first.

"Dad? Has he been like that the whole time?", she asks worriedly.

"He's been quiet. Seth tried to talk him into playing a game with him to distract him while he's waiting for his brother's call but he hasn't moved except to get his phone from the kitchen once it was charged", Caleb informs her.

"Well, I need to get him some Tylenol", she says before impulsively hugging her father. "Thank you. Thank you for being here with him and thank you for handling things. We didn't even think about Trey...or...", she says with a sigh. "I feel like we just can't do anything right", she says defeatedly.

Caleb hugs her back and tries to reassure her. "Kiki, you're doing fine. It hasn't been that long. These things would have come to you once you'd had time to take a breath. It's not your fault that nothing seems to get by the boy."

Kirsten pulls back and smiles, "Nothing does, does it? He's so smart, dad." Her smile fades. "I don't know if that's going to work in our favor here, though. He reads people so well. I...I just think it'll be hard to..."

"Kiki. Don't try to pull anything over on the boy. Just tell it to him straight", Caleb states.

Kirsten looks up at him and nods. "I need to get back to him", she says as she heads upstairs for the Tylenol.

In the family room, Sandy is sitting beside Ryan. Having apologized for not considering Trey, or what would happen with Frank's body. Ryan accepts the apology with a simple, "it's ok" as Sandy keeps a close eye on him. The response is so automatic and Sandy wonders how young Ryan was when he'd learned not to complain, and how many times something wasn't really "ok" with him since he's been here but he'd acquiesced so as not to make waves. Or maybe he does mean it, because he's so used to just having to take what he's given and make do. He shakes his head. So they screwed up and didn't think to contact Trey or stop to consider that Ryan would wonder what would happen to Frank's body and Ryan's simply accepted it and placed the responsibility on his own shoulders. Like he's probably done so many times in his life. Too many times.

Kirsten comes back into the room and gives Ryan the Tylenol, which he promptly takes. Kirsten asks, "have you eaten?"

Ryan says, "I had a little cereal when I got up".

"Very little", Seth chimes in.

Kirsten suggests he eat something a little more substantial which he unenthusiastically agrees to and they move into the kitchen while she and Sandy make them all breakfast.

They invite Caleb to stay as he's gathering up his paperwork and he finds himself accepting the invitation. Earlier he couldn't wait for them to get home so he could leave them to deal with their end of things with Ryan while he'd retreat to his own home to see what needed to be done about Frank Atwood's burial but something was keeping him there.

Breakfast is a quiet affair, with everyone shooting little looks at Ryan as he nibbles on his eggs and toast in between alternating glances at the clock and his cell phone, which is sitting on the table next to his plate. It's past eleven now and still no call from Trey.

Ryan quietly says, "What if he didn't get the message", as he looks to Sandy.

Sandy tries to reassure him. "He'll call. Each person gets 10, or maybe 15 minutes to talk so it just may take a while for him to get his turn."

Ryan sighs and nods. "I haven't talked to him since Thanksgiving", he says as he shakes his head. "What if he's mad at me?", he says quietly.

He says it in such a small voice that he practically regresses in age right before Sandy's eyes. He blinks to shake himself out of it and says again, "He'll call, Ryan. He'll call."

He glances to Kirsten and then to Caleb and sees them both watching Ryan and he can tell he's not the only one taken aback at how young Ryan sounded just then. Caleb. He's been surprising Sandy left and right. He's truly seemed to finally start seeing Ryan and not the delinquent that burned down his model home. He's almost glad that he wasn't here this morning. He doesn't know if he'd been able to handle Ryan's dilemma as well as Caleb seemed to. He shakes off the thought. No, he should have been here.

He's broken from his train of thought as Ryan's phone starts ringing. The Cohens collectively cringe as Whitney Houston starts emanating from it.

Seth physically hurts as the color drains from Ryan's face. God, why'd he put that stupid ringer on there? Why didn't he remember and take the fucking thing off when he put it on the charger?

Ryan slowly picks up the phone and just stares at it. He's bombarded with images of Alan opening the door and falling back wards at the shot. He can almost feel some of the blood splattering on his face. His breathing picks up and he clenches his eyes closed.

"Ryan? Honey?", Kirsten says, knowing something is very wrong.

"Ryan. Son. Look at me?", Sandy says as his panic grows as well.

Ryan doesn't hear. He just clutches the phone and then suddenly stands. They all stand as well and Sandy and Kirsten start to move toward him but he steps back, knocking the kitchen chair over. He finally says that he's going to be sick and bolts from the kitchen. He tries to go through the family room but doesn't make it before emptying the breakfast he's just eaten onto the rug. Kirsten and Sandy rush to his side and try to comfort him as he painfully heaves.

Once finished he starts immediately apologizing, lost somewhere between past and present. "I'm sorry. I'm sorry. I'll clean it up...I'm sorry", he breathlessly says as he backs away. He flinches away as Sandy tries to approach and tell him it's ok. His breathing picks up again and he leaps to his feet and backs up until he hits a wall. "I...I'm sorry. I didn't mean it. I'll clean it up. I swear", he continues to promise as his eyes wildly flick from Sandy to Kirsten.

Seth, meanwhile, has answered the phone if for nothing else than to stop the offending song from playing. He's filling in a panicked Trey, who then demands to talk to Ryan.

Caleb watches on the sidelines at a complete loss of what to do.

Sandy slowly approaches Ryan while calmly speaking. "Ryan? Kid? It's me. It's Sandy. It's ok. You're safe. We're not going to hurt you. The rug can be cleaned. It's no big deal. You hear me kid. We don't care about the rug".

Ryan says nothing but slowly slides down the wall with a confused look on his face. He lets out a pained grunt as he reaches the floor.

Seth comes in with the phone and tells Sandy that Trey wants to talk to Ryan.

Sandy takes the phone and can hear Trey's voice calling out. "Ry?" He holds the phone out and tells Ryan it's Trey. Ryan just looks at him until he hears Trey's voice. Then his eyes flick to the phone. "Little brother? Hey. Talk to me, Ry." Ryan tentatively reaches out for the phone as he eyes Sandy with a furrowed brow.

Sandy inwardly winces under the scrutiny. Stomach in knots as Ryan's eyes are filled with caution, as if he thinks it's some kind of a trick.

Finally, Ryan takes the phone and places it to his ears. They watch as Ryan's face crumples at his brother's voice. He tries valiantly to regain control as he says, "Trey?".

Sandy and Kirsten move back a bit to give him some space, as they watch him listen to whatever Trey is saying. They hear Ryan whisper that he wants to see him and their hearts break at the longing in his voice. He needs his brother.

Seth stands back as Ryan talks to his brother. His real brother.

Trey is on the other end, kicking himself for being locked up over a stupid car when his brother needs him so much. "Shit, Ry. I'd be there in a heartbeat if I could. You know that, right?"

"Yeah. I know", Ryan says softly.

The Cohens watch as Ryan seems to become clearer the more he talks to Trey.

"Can the Cohens bring you to visit me? Soon?", Trey asks.

Ryan throws a look to the concerned faces and blinks as if seeing them for the first time. He says, "Yeah, but...", he lowers his voice, "...dad kinda fucked me up. Not real bad but it might be a couple of days".

"Fucking bastard", Trey curses under his breath. "He's really dead, huh?", he asks.

"Yeah", Ryan says tiredly.

"Good. I can't think of anyone more deserving", Trey mutters. "Look, Ry. I'm real sorry about what happened. I'm real fucking sorry I wasn't there. You...you shouldn't a had to deal with that shit by yourself. Fuck, man. I..."

"Hey. It's ok. You didn't know. It's not your fault", Ryan says.

Sandy and Kirsten watch the change come over Ryan as he goes from comfortee to comforter.

Trey then reluctantly says, "hey. My times about up. Want me to call again, tomorrow? I get three calls a week."

Ryan takes a deep breath and says, "Yeah. I'd like that. Thanks for talkin' to me, Trey."

Trey frowns, "why wouldn't I talk to you?"

Ryan shrugs and says, "I thought maybe you'd be mad at me since I haven't visited you".

Trey angrily says, "Don't fucking do that. Don't take that on yourself. I told you not to, remember? Shit, I hate when you do that. Not everything's your fucking fault. Ok?...OK!?"

"Yeah. Ok. Chill out, dude", Ryan says with a small smile.

Trey chuckles, "that's rich, you telling me to chill out. Look, I really gotta go now. I'll talk to you tomorrow".

"Ok. Thanks, Trey", Ryan says as Trey hangs up. He leaves the phone to his ear for a few seconds and then finally pulls it away and closes it. He stares at it for a moment and then raises his eyes to the Cohens. He starts to say "I'm sorry" but Kirsten cuts him off.

"Don't you dare say you're sorry", she says with a smile to let him know she's not angry with him. "Are you ok, sweetie?"

He rests his head against the wall and says, "I'm ok now".

"All right. Then let's get you up", Sandy says as he approaches slowly.

Ryan accepts the help and starts toward the family room. He needs to clean up the mess he made, but Sandy steers him toward the stairs.

"Nope, let's get you upstairs", Sandy says.

"But...I need to clean...", Ryan says with a frown.

"We'll clean this up, Ryan", Kirsten says with a firm look. At Ryan's guilty look, she adds, "It's ok, honey. I don't mind. Really."

"Yeah, dude. She lives for cleaning up vomit. I used to do it sometimes just to fill that need", Seth says awkwardly, feeling quite uncomfortable at that moment. Suddenly thinking that maybe he's not super bro. Trey is super bro.

Ryan offers a small smile and nods. It's not like he _really _wants to clean up his own vomit. He follows Sandy upstairs.

Kirsten, Seth and Caleb quietly watch them go and then Kirsten shakily sits on the couch and says to no one in particular, "thank God for Trey." Ryan was in full on melt down and she didn't know if they'd have been able to talk him down on their own.

Caleb watches the worry and relief war on Kirsten's face and makes a decision. He needs to see if he can pull some more strings for Trey.


	24. Chapter 24

**Author's note: Sincere apologies for the delay. A work project deadline got moved way up and I had to devote some serious attention to that. I figured that I really hadn't oughta get fired just because I had a story to work on. lol. So, that took up one week and then, just when I was ready to get back to writing this a family situation came up. I had some of this written and was able to write other little bits here and there but unfortunately a lot of the scenes that came to mind these past couple of weeks can't be worked in until later chapters. lol. So that left me with this unfinished chapter that is now being posted. I had intended to make it much longer. This part here was to be the first half of it and the other half was going to be some Seth stuff as well as Kirsten and Caleb stuff but my muse has decided to become a fickle little witch tonight and I'm a little stuck. So, you'll have to settle for a shorter chapter. I just felt that I really needed to get something posted to light a fire under my butt and get back into a groove. Hopefully, tomorrow will bring forth the next chapter more easily and I will get out the rest of what I had intended within this one. **

**Also, I had posted a couple of comments explaining the delay on my profile page in case anyone happened to check it. So, in the future, if I don't update for a few days, I'll try to at least let everyone know what's up and when an update can be expected. **

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Chapter Twenty Four

Sandy leads Ryan through his bedroom and into the bathroom. He closes the toilet seat and has Ryan sit on it. He helps him off with his shirt, being careful that Ryan doesn't have to lift his arms too high and aggravate his ribs more than they already must be after his bout of vomiting. He helps him off with his sweats and grabs a washcloth and holds it under the faucet as he waits for the water to warm up. He squeezes the excess and then turns back to Ryan. He kneels before him and gently wipes his face and then his hands.

Ryan watches him quietly, marveling at the gentleness with which he's being tended to. He didn't think any man's touch could be so soft. He watches Sandy's every move and looks up at him with almost an awe as the warm cloth touches his skin. Sandy even warmed the water for him.

Sandy falters at the look on Ryan's face but catches himself and smiles. "Better?", he asks. Ryan nods and Sandy rises saying, "Let's get you over to the bed and I'll grab you some fresh clothes".

Ryan remains silent but complies. He continues to watch Sandy as he pulls out a fresh pair of sweat pants and a t-shirt.

Sandy helps him on with the clothes, noting a few grimaces of pain as he does so. He sits beside Ryan on the bed and asks how his side feels. Ryan absently rubs it with a frown on his face, giving Sandy his answer. "Well, I don't want to give you a pain pill so soon after you taking those Tylenol, so we could try an icepack...or maybe a heating pad would be better?", he ponders. "Is it your ribs themselves, you think? Or your muscles giving you the pain?"

Ryan looks over at him but doesn't answer. The hell if he knows. It all hurts. His side, his stomach, his head. Damn, does his head hurt.

"Just feeling generally like crap, huh?", Sandy says as if reading his mind.

Ryan sighs and nods. "Pretty much."

Sandy puts an arm around Ryan's shoulders and smiles as he feels Ryan lean into him. Taking a risk he asks, "Wanna tell me what happened down there?", already knowing the answer but wanting to get Ryan to talk about it.

Ryan fidgets with the hem of his t-shirt before offering, "Alan." He shifts a little but doesn't pull away. "I don't know. It's stupid. I heard that song and it just made me think of him and...and the last time I saw him."

"Hey", Sandy says softly as he gives his shoulder a squeeze. "It's not stupid, Ryan. Some things are just going to remind you and bring things back". Sandy wrestles with himself about whether or not he should share what he and Kirsten know about what happened to him. Whether or not to share that they've seen pictures of the aftermath of Frank's handiwork.

"What is it?", comes Ryan's voice. Sandy turns to find Ryan's probing eyes on him. He chuckles. "Can't pull a thing over on you, can we?", he says with a smile before growing serious. "You know Kirsten and I went to meet with Agent Cook this morning?", he asks. At Ryan's nod he continues, "well, we met with him to go over his preliminary report about what happened. He filled us in on what they could piece together and...". His voice trails off as he gathers his courage. He's not sure how Ryan's going to take this at all. He clears his voice and forges ahead, "...there were pictures. Agent Cook wanted to spare us that but we insisted on seeing them...", he stops when Ryan abruptly stands.

Ryan is shaking his head and backing away, "No. You...you shouldn't have done that. You shouldn't have seen that."

Sandy stands and moves toward Ryan but, like downstairs, every step he takes has Ryan moving back until finally his back is against the wall. Sandy curses himself, fearing that he's sending him into another episode. He doesn't look as out of sorts as he was before but he's clearly upset by this news so Sandy approaches cautiously, with slow deliberate movements and he speaks calmly. "I wish we hadn't, kid. I wish _you_ hadn't had to see what you did. God how I wish you hadn't...", he states as he places his hands gently on Ryan's shoulders. "...but you did and we want to help you through it and that was the only way we could think to. We needed to know what you had to go through, so we could better understand what you might be going through now. Since you're not talking we felt that we had to find out all we could elsewhere. I know seeing a picture isn't the same. It doesn't even come close, but it gives us a starting point, kid. It gives us a shot at knowing what might be going on in that head of yours."

Ryan's gut twists at the thought of Kirsten seeing those pictures. She shouldn't see that. None of them should have ever have seen that, but they had. All because he...

Sandy takes a stab at where Ryan's thoughts may be taking him. "Hey, this isn't your fault. You didn't force us to look at those pictures. We'd walk through fire for you, kid. Don't you know that?", Sandy says softly.

Ryan looks up at him and searches his face and finds himself believing that he would.

Sandy feels some of the tension leave Ryan's body as his shoulders sag. He pulls him into a hug. It isn't returned but Sandy hears a soft sigh and feels Ryan allow himself to rest against him. They stand quietly like that for a moment before Sandy carefully pulls back and leads Ryan back to the bed, leaving one arm across his shoulders. Instead of having Ryan sit on the bed he instructs him to lay down. After helping swing his legs onto the bed Sandy takes a seat on the edge. He pulls a blanket up over him and then just sits quietly, seeing where the silence leads. It's not long before he is rewarded.

"He didn't deserve that", Ryan's soft voice states.

Knowing his thoughts are still on Alan, Sandy replies, "No, son. He didn't."

Ryan doesn't look at him as he says, "I offered him a sandwich when I was making my lunch...but he didn't say anything. He didn't even move. He just stood there like always." He offers a wan smile, "Seth tried to get me to throw paper wads at him once." He shakes his head and adds, "I remember hearing him laugh a little when that stupid ringer went off before you guys left for the luncheon and...a couple of hours later he was dead."

Sandy grabs his hand and gives it a squeeze, wanting to keep Ryan grounded and keep him from sinking too deep into his memories again. Sandy sticks with the silence, choosing to let Ryan go at his own pace but moments pass and Ryan offers nothing more. So he takes another stab at it. "You're not responsible for what Frank did..", he stops abruptly as Ryan flinches at his dad's name and pulls his hand free. Ok. Missed the mark on that one. "I'm sorry, kid..."

"I'm kinda tired", Ryan states, cutting him off.

"Ryan, I didn't mean to...", Sandy tries to keep the lines of communication open.

"Please, Sandy. It's ok. I'm just...I'm just tired", Ryan says as he settles further down in the bed.

Sandy suppresses a sigh realizing that, once again, in his eagerness he's just effectively brought the discourse to a close. "Ok, Ryan. You get some rest".

Ryan says nothing, wanting to turn on his side but unable to do so due to his aching ribs so he simply turns his head away from Sandy and closes his eyes. He feels the mattress lift as Sandy rises and he waits for the sound of the door. He flinches slightly as he unexpectedly feels Sandy's hand gently brush across his hair and the blanket is pulled up higher, then feels Sandy move away. His eyes fly open and his heart quickens as he eyes Sandy's retreating back. "Sandy...", he says quickly, suddenly not wanting to be alone just yet.

Sandy turns back and sees the panicked look on his face. Correctly reading it, he softly asks, "you want me to sit a while?". Ryan's face flushes with embarrassment. Sandy smiles and takes a seat. "Nothing to be ashamed of, kiddo. You go ahead and close your eyes for a bit. I'll be right here." He watches as Ryan silently settles again, allowing his eyes to fall closed and his breathing slowly evens out. "I'm not going anywhere, Ryan", Sandy whispers.


	25. Chapter 25

**Bet ya all thought I died or something. Nope. Just my computer. The repairs would be too much to bother with so I need to buy a new one but just don't have the funds right now. So, I have no computer access at home and my employers are real hardasses about their computers being used for personal use on company time and so I just haven't been able to update before now. I tried logging on to this site to at least inform those keeping up with this story about what was going on but it wouldn't let me access the site from work. So here I am at my sisters house taking advantage of her computer to finally get this put up. I have no idea when the next will come.**

**At any rate, there's not any Ryan in this one. Just some things I wanted to get out of the way so I could move things along but there is a lot of talk about Ryan. I haven't really had a chance to re-read it since I wrote it a few weeks ago, back before the computer blew up for good (thank goodness for flash drives because otherwise I would have had to start all over again and who knows when I would have been able to post anything more) but I don't really have the time now and I just wanted to get something up. So I hope it doesn't suck. lol. **

Chapter Twenty Five

As Sandy leads Ryan upstairs Kirsten and Seth set about cleaning up the mess in the family room as Caleb gathers his things and makes his leave. Although, the extent of Seth's help consists of him filling a bucket with soapy water and setting it beside his mom along with a couple of towels and then hightailing it upstairs to his room. On the way he grabs Ryan's cell phone where he'd left it on the floor as he stood up after talking with Trey. Seth feels responsible for Ryan's meltdown and wants to make sure he gets rid of that damned ring tone. Sitting in his room he lets his mind drift to the instant effect that Trey had on Ryan. He'd thought he was getting a handle on this brother thing but maybe he's kidding himself. While the rest of them stood by helplessly as Ryan spiraled out of control, all it took was Trey's voice to pull him back. He thinks of Ryan as his brother but even before this happened it was clear that Ryan doesn't really feel the same way toward him by the way he stated that he was only Seth's foster brother that day he'd learned that Ryan didn't have to go to the fashion luncheon. Who knows if Ryan will ever think of him as his brother. Especially now, with his dad violently reminding him of where he came from. Shaking his head he pulls out his own cell phone and calls Summer.

"Cohen? How's Chino?", she asks immediately upon answering.

"Hey", Seth says softly. A small smile gracing his face. It's good to hear her voice.

"Seth?", she prompts when he says nothing more. "Is everything ok?"

Seth sighs and answers, "No. It's not. I'm so stupid."

"Cohen? What the hell are you talking about? You're not stupid. Now tell me what's going on before I come over there and kick your ass".

"Ok. Ok. Step off, woman", he says with a chuckle. He takes a breath and fills her in on the recent events, ending with how it's all his fault that Ryan had a meltdown and how Trey saved the day, unable to keep a tightness out of his voice at the mention of Trey.

"I take back my previous statement. You _are_ an idiot", Summer states.

Seth sputters, "Wh..what? I'm not sure you understand how this works, Summer. A guy calls his girlfriend for a comforting ear and she's supposed to, you know, provide comfort."

"Oh, I know how it works dimwit. Sometimes a guy needs some sense smacked into him, too, and this is one of those times. Look, Seth, when you downloaded that ring tone to his phone you had no idea what was going to happen. It was all in good fun and he did the same thing to you and even subjected me to your little ringtone warfare. Since he's been back I think all of you have had other things on your mind. He's not going to blame you. The reason he had a meltdown is because his dad was a psycho. As for Trey, you should be glad that he could help. So why do you sound annoyed by it?"

"I...I am glad. Of course I'm glad...but, just seeing how Ryan reacted to him...dad was trying to calm him down and just wasn't getting through and then the mere sound of Trey's voice did the trick. How can I compete with that?"

"It's not a competition, Cohen. There's room for both of you. Look at it from his point of view, Seth. He had 15 years with this whole other family and then suddenly he's in a completely different world. He went from Chino to Newport. He went from parents like Frank and Dawn to your parents. Suddenly he's got this new family telling him he's part of it but he's also got this other family. It's easier for you. You only had to let Ryan into your life, and all while you were still in your comfort zone. He's had to make a whole new life, with a whole new family", Summer explains.

"Yeah, I guess you're right. I never really thought about it like that. I mean, he never talked about them so it was easy to just kinda forget they existed", Seth concedes after taking in all that Summer said.

"Think about how you're feeling now, Seth, about having to acknowledge the connection between Ryan and Trey and trying to figure out just where you fit in Ryan's life and maybe you can begin to imagine how Ryan must feel trying to figure out where he fits. In your family as well as his other one", Summer says.

"You're right. I am an idiot", Seth says dejectedly. He'd thought he was doing pretty good in the brother department all of this time but he's failed miserably right from the start.

"Seth", Summer says softly. "You're doing the best you can. The brother thing is new to you and there's no set way to handle things. Ryan and Trey had a whole lifetime of experiences to learn how to read each other. You went from being an only child for 15 years to having a shiny new brother the same age as you. You can be a little self absorbed at times but I think it's great the way you accepted Ryan into your life so easily. The way you both look out for each other you are like brothers but he has another one, Seth. That's not ever going to change. Ryan's never going to just forget Trey."

"I know that", Seth huffs and then adds, "you think I'm self absorbed?"

Summer rolls her eyes. "Of course I do. All only children are self absorbed. I know whereof I speak."

Somewhat appeased, Seth says, "I don't know what to do. Trey seemed to know just what to say to Ryan and I have no clue."

"Trey knows first hand what Frank Atwood was like. It's got to be easier for them both because Ryan doesn't have to explain that relationship to him. Trey already knows. You and Ryan have shared experiences, too, since he's been in Newport."

"Yeah, but I bet Ryan would be able to talk to Trey about them", Seth says somewhat petulantly.

"Cohen, have you been listening to a thing I've said?", Summers says in exasperation.

"I know. I know. I'm being self absorbed", Seth says sarcastically. "But I can't help it. I want Ryan to be able to talk to me like he does Trey. What's so wrong with that?"

"There's nothing wrong with that but it takes time, Seth. Especially about this stuff. Ryan's pretty much kept mum about his family up until recently when he couldn't ignore it anymore. He's probably just not comfortable talking about it and can you blame him now that you know what his dad was like?"

"No. I guess not. So, what do I do?", Seth asks.

"Just do what you've been doing. You know how to read him pretty well, Seth. You'll know when to push and when to back off. If or when he's ready to talk you'll deal with it then. When his dad turned up he opened up to you didn't he?"

"Yeah, he did", he says perking up a little before deflating again. "But he was in a full on panic about what his dad might do. I think it was more that he just needed to say his fears out loud and not so much that he was "confiding" in me."

"That's still something and the fact that you understand that about him says a lot. The point is he did open up. To you. The rest will come easier in time. He trusts you, Seth."

Seth smiles, "You're right".

"Of course I am", Summer says with a smile. "You ok now?"

"Yeah. Thanks, Summer. I miss you", Seth says with a sigh.

"I miss you, too", she says softly. "You tell Chino that I hope he's ok and that I'll see him soon, ok?"

"I will. Bye".

"Bye, Seth".

Seth hangs up and grabs Captain Oats as he settles back on the bed, feeling much better about things.

Kirsten finishes cleaning up the floor as best she can and goes upstairs to check on Sandy and Ryan. Quietly peeking into his room she finds Ryan asleep on the bed and Sandy sitting in a chair. He whispers to her that he wants to sit with him for a while longer and will be out later. Recognizing his need to stay with Ryan she nods and tells him she's going to finally make that call to Dr.s Hart and Westcott to see if they would be willing to take on Ryan and the rest of them. Once in the bedroom she calls Dr. Hart and fills her in on the situation. Dr. Hart informs her that normally she'd be happy to work with Kirsten and the rest of the family but she suggests that Ryan might be better off speaking with someone who specializes in abused children and victims of violent crimes. She feels that she would be too rusty in that area seeing as more of her clientele have problems of a different sort. What she is saying makes sense so Kirsten agrees that they should find someone more qualified to deal with the trauma Ryan has endured. Dr. Hart gives her the names of a couple of colleagues and Kirsten calls the first one, a Dr. Daly. He sounds a bit brusque so she tells him she'll get back to him and calls the other. Dr. Morgan is a woman and Kirsten gets a good vibe from her right off. She'll still let Ryan make the choice of which one he goes with ultimately but she has a feeling that this is the one. She goes ahead and calls Dr. Daly back and explains that they are going to let Ryan choose which he's more comfortable with and he agrees to meet with him. He tells her to let him know when Ryan is up to it and he'll make time to see them. After a sigh of relief at having gotten things underway she allows herself to fall back on the bed and before she knows it, sleep has overtaken her.

Caleb went home to make a few phone calls of his own. He discovers that Frank's body will be released from the coroner's office the following day so they can begin making burial arrangements. He makes a few preliminary calls regarding that and then decides to take a little drive to Chino to have a talk with Trey before sitting down with Ryan to discuss things. He figures that Ryan has had a rough enough morning and would appreciate any input that Trey could offer. Sanford and Kiki might be upset that he hadn't talked with them first but he wants to judge this boy for himself. The way Ryan had responded to him on the phone conveyed a close bond despite the fact that Trey had gotten the boy arrested. Once he arrives he demands to speak with the warden himself, throwing his weight around in customary fashion, able to secure a private room in which to speak to Trey. So, here he is waiting for Trey to be brought in.

The door opens and he sees the young man led into the room. A frown graces the boy's face as he spots Caleb.

"Who the hell are you?", Trey asks as he's led to the table and takes a seat.

"Caleb Nichol", Caleb states.

Trey raises his eyebrows and coolly says, "is that supposed to mean something to me?", as he leans back in his seat.

"Kirsten Cohen is my daughter", Caleb volley's back and waits for his reaction.

It's immediate. The mask falls away and he leans forward and asks, "how is he?", the concern evident in his voice and on his face.

"He's having a hard time, as you may have gathered from earlier but he seems to be a tough kid", Caleb says as he studies the boy. He's clearly rougher around the edges but there's a softness about him as he's asking about his brother. It's what he wanted to see. Ryan should have at least one member of his family that has real concern for his well being.

"Yeah, well, he's not as tough as he pretends to be", Trey says as he lets out a breath and leans back into the chair again. "He said my dad fucked him up. How bad?", he asks.

"If the rest of his body looks anything like his face and neck then he's got to be in a world of hurt. He's hiding it well, though", Caleb states honestly.

Trey nods in understanding and then asks, "his neck?".

"I'll be honest, I don't know the details. I can only judge from what I've seen and his neck is bruised pretty spectacularly from someone obviously trying to choke him."

"Shit", Trey says as he closes his eyes. He stands and the guard still in the room starts to move toward him but Caleb waves him off. Trey begins to pace as he says, "dad was always a mean son of a bitch but usually he'd just kick our asses and then toss us in the closet. I guess prison life nurtured his sadistic side" He continues to pace as he wonders just what he's going to be like when he gets out. He's been trying to toe the line since Ryan delivered that car and paid off his debt but he'd been "informed" that there was still interest due by a couple of goons on the inside. Trey's mind had filled with the look of betrayal on Ryan's face when he told him what happened when he delivered the car. Thoughts of sending his brother into a situation that could have ended up getting him killed had angered him, along with the knowledge that if he laid down for that then he'd have to watch out for anyone deciding he was an easy target. He decided then and there that he needed to make it clear that he didn't appreciate the altering of the deal. So he'd put up a hell of a fight and landed himself in solitary but since he's been out he hasn't been bothered. Maybe he'll be able to hang in there and not get any time added on, or maybe even an early parole. Yeah right.

"He's also got a couple of fractured ribs and a concussion", Caleb says, bringing Trey out of his thoughts.

Trey returns to his seat and leans forward on the table. "Can you tell me what happened? I heard about the amber alert thing from other inmates but couldn't really get any details on the news around here. All I know is that my dad had him. I didn't even know he was out".

Caleb takes note of the fact that Trey doesn't seem phased in the least at the news of fractured ribs and concussion. "No one did. He showed up a few weeks ago, catching everyone off guard. Sanford took him for bad news right away and paid him off to get rid of him."

Trey's snorts disgustedly and says, "Only dear old dad didn't stick to the deal". He shakes his head. "Dad doesn't..._didn't_ miss a chance to stick it to someone and he probably busted a nut at the thought of sticking it to a bunch of fat cats." He turns his gaze to Caleb, "Mr. Cohen really shelled out money to keep him away from Ryan?"

"Well, technically, it was my money but, yes. He and my daughter care a great deal for the boy", Caleb answers.

Something flickers in Trey's eyes but is masked quickly. "That...that's good. He deserves it."

Caleb doesn't miss the look that quickly passes over Trey's face but can't quite place it. Envy? Fear?

Trey clears his throat and brings the conversation back to Ryan's abduction. "So, uh, what exactly happened? How did my dad get Ryan and what the hell did he do once he had him?"

"Like I said, I don't really know all of the details. Sanford and Kiki went to speak to the agent in charge of the search early this morning to see what they could find out between the time Ryan was taken and the time he was recovered. That's where they were when I called to get a message to you. All I know is that while we were at an event, and Ryan was home alone with his bodyguard, Frank and an accomplice gave Sanford's private investigator the slip and he shot and killed the bodyguard. Ryan acquired the concussion in an attempt to escape before being abducted from the home. He was taken to a house in El Cerrito where he was locked in the basement. Apparently, Frank didn't search him because Ryan eventually realized he had his cell phone and was able to get a call out once he managed to get a signal. During the course of that phone call we discovered that Frank had shot and killed his accomplice, leaving his body in the basement with Ryan. The phone call allowed the authorities to narrow down a search area and eventually they were able to zero in on his location. Outside of that all I can tell you is that Frank was subsequently killed and Ryan was taken to the hospital. His injuries weren't serious enough to warrant keeping him so we brought him home."

Trey runs a hand down his face as he tries to sort through all he's just learned. "Jesus. Our dad's a fucking murderer. Straight up. I guess it shouldn't surprise me that he'd kill someone someday but, damn, this...this is fucked up." He stands and begins pacing again. "I know I screwed up getting Ryan arrested. He didn't even know what I was planning until I smashed that car window in. Then the Atwood luck reared its head and there was a patrol car driving down the other street and saw us. So Ryan jumped in and we took off. Hell, they would have still arrested him as an accomplice even if he hadn't gotten in. It's not like they'd have believed that he didn't know what I was gonna do if he didn't. They'd seen him with me and he still would have gone down. I know I shouldn't have put him in that position but...", he pauses and looks Caleb directly in the eye before continuing. "...I don't regret it. If that hadn't happened Ryan would never have met your daughter and her husband. Shit, they...you...paid money to keep him safe and got him a damned bodyguard for Christ's sake. You think our mom would have done a damned thing to protect him if he was still with her and dad tracked them down? He'd either be living with both of those train wrecks dealing with their shit every fucking day or, if dad decided to take off with Ryan, I can guaran-damn-tee that she wouldn't have done a fucking thing to find him."

Caleb marvels at how talkative this boy is compared to his brother. He says what he feels and says exactly what he's thinking whereas Ryan keeps everything close to the vest.

Trey seems to be starting to wind down as he retakes his seat. "Look, thanks for coming here and telling me all that. Ryan wouldn't have told me half of that probably. He wouldn't want me to worry. Hell, he said that dad didn't fuck him up too bad", he says with a shake of his head. "Little shit would probably say that even if his arm got chopped off".

"He does seem a little less...forthcoming than you", Caleb offers.

Trey snorts. "It ain't his fault. In our house it was best to keep your mouth shut if you knew what was good for you. Ryan learned it pretty quick. Me? Not so much. I feel bad about it but when we moved to Chino and we got a bit older, I started hanging out around home less and less, leaving Ryan there to fend for himself a lot of the time. I mouthed off a lot and sometimes made things worse. I felt like maybe if I weren't around to set any of those assholes off then maybe Ryan would be ok there. He knew how to be quiet and stay out of the way. I thought he'd be ok. At least that's what I told myself".

Caleb is no stranger to that "every man for himself" mentality and he hadn't gone through anything like these boys had gone through. Trey isn't much older than Ryan and one certainly couldn't blame him for wanting to get away. He'd clearly made some bad choices and fallen into activities often associated with such an environment but in talking with him now Caleb feels that all is not lost with this boy. Not yet. Shifting gears, Caleb decides to address the real reason he came here.

"I actually had another matter that I wanted to address with you concerning Ryan", he states. Trey's attention is immediately back on him. "Your brother has gotten it into his head that he's responsible for seeing to your father's burial arrangements. I thought perhaps he would appreciate your input on the matter".

"Throw him in the fucking river for all I care", Trey sneers.

"I must say that I would not be opposed to that idea but Ryan seems to think he deserves a proper burial", Caleb states.

"Shit. Figures", he responds. "So, what do you want from me?"

"Anything you can tell me that might make things easier on your brother. Suggestions on where to bury him. Whether or not he'd have wanted to be cremated...", Caleb throws out.

"Cremated", Trey jumps in. At Caleb's look he shrugs and explains, "I remember him watching something on tv once and saying that there was no way he was ever going to be worm food rotting in the ground. I can't believe I remembered that", Trey says with a shake of the head.

"That would probably be for the best. I doubt that Ryan would want an open casket if that is even a possibility. I'm not sure of the state of the body", Caleb acknowledges.

"As for where...uh, I guess back in Fresno? I think his folks are buried there", Trey suggests. "He doesn't want to, like, have an actual funeral for the son of a bitch does he? I mean, I can't see some preacher going on about how he'll be missed and all that shit"

"To be honest, I'm not sure exactly how far Ryan is going to want to go with this. I just know that he was quite adamant about taking care of the body and coming up with a way to reimburse me for the cost", Caleb says.

"Reimburse you? You're going to make him pay for this?", Trey asks incredulously.

Caleb holds up a hand and states, "Now, hold on. I informed Ryan that Sanford and Kiki, or even I, would take care of it but he insisted it was his responsibility and the only way I could get him to agree to accept help was to agree that he could repay me".

Trey shakes his head and says, "Sounds like him. Stupid bastard always takes shit on himself. I don't know...maybe it'll be good for him to see it through. I wouldn't mind seeing that son of a bitch stuffed in the ground."

"Speaking of which, I have brought up that possibility with the warden. They'll do a risk assessment and decide if you'll be allowed a pass to attend the funeral if there is one. I also need to run this all by Sanford and Kiki before a decision is made", Caleb informs him.

"Really? There's a chance I can get out of here?"

"If Ryan does want a service of some kind, I do believe that there's a good chance that you'll be allowed to attend", Caleb replies. "But know this, you will be released in my custody and I don't like to be crossed. If you try to run or..."

"I won't. Shit. I know I fucked up but I wouldn't do that to Ryan. Especially not now, when he's dealing with all this shit", Trey says sincerely.

Caleb raises an eye brow, "but you would in any other circumstance?"

With a smirk and a shrug Trey says, "well, I can't say the thought wouldn't cross my mind but, really, the thought of looking over the shoulder the rest of my life, waiting to be thrown back in for even longer, doesn't sound too appealing. I really just want to do my time and see what I can salvage of my life".

"Perhaps I can help with that", Caleb offers.

"What?", Trey asks warily.

"If you do get a day pass and handle yourself well and then try very hard to keep your nose clean, I might be willing to lend you a hand when you get out".

Trey sits back in his seat, shocked at this turn of events but says nothing.

Caleb continues, "Your brother means a great deal to my daughter and her family. Despite my initial rash judgments of him, I'm beginning to see why. You, in turn, mean a great deal to the boy and I feel that he would benefit from having at least one member of his family that he can count on".

"Are you for real?", Trey asks half jokingly.

"Yes", Caleb simply states.

Trey looks down and scratches the back of his head before looking back up and saying, "Uh, that's...I don't know what to say. I'll, uh, I'll try. I really will. For Ryan".

"It might be better if you tried for yourself. You seem like a smart kid. Just don't make me regret it".

Trey nods and gives a very Ryan like smile. He sighs, "shit, I haven't had anything to look forward to in a hell of a long time. Thanks. Really. Thanks." A frown then graces his face, "how are the Cohens going to feel about all of this. I mean, Mr. Cohen didn't seem to think much of me when we got arrested. I doubt that he's going to want me around Ryan any more than he wanted our dad".

"You're not your father. Sanford is capable of seeing that. He might not be comfortable with the idea at first but if he sees you putting forth a real effort, I think he'll understand how important it is that Ryan have you in his life".

"And your daughter?", Trey asks.

"She knows how important you are to Ryan. If she didn't before she certainly realized it after what happened earlier today. We all saw the effect you had on Ryan".

Trey nods as he traces a pattern in the table surface. He feels a relief at the thought, and acknowledgment, that he still has a place in Ryan's life. He looks up and asks what happened. Caleb relays what happened during Ryan's brief meltdown. Trey runs his hand down his face. "Shit. What the fuck did he ever do to deserve the shit that comes his way sometimes? Whoever came up with that line about life not being fair sure got that right. I know I brought shit on myself and let it spill over onto Ryan but he's always been a great kid. Always concerned about others and wanting to think the best but he's always getting kicked in the teeth for it. You know, when he was little and we'd have to hide from mom or whoever, I'd try to keep him quiet until they passed out or forgot why they were looking for us but mom, she'd make her voice all sweet and call out to Ryan saying she wasn't mad anymore and that it'd be ok to come out. I used to get so mad at him because he'd go to her every damned time. Always hoping that _this_ time she was telling the truth. That this time she really meant it. She never did. He'd come out and as soon as he was in arm's reach she'd tear him apart or hand him over to whatever asshole was living with us at the time. I wised up after only one time of her pulling that shit but Ryan, he held out for a long time." He falls silent and Caleb watches as he seemingly wrestles with something. Finally he turns his gaze back to Caleb and states, "I'll keep my nose clean. I will. I'm gonna get out of here and stay out".

Caleb studies the determination on his face and finds himself hoping that the boy can follow through on that promise and he decides then and there that he'll do everything in his power to see that he has a real chance. They say their goodbyes, with Caleb promising that he'll be in touch once he talks with Ryan and the Cohens. As he heads back to Newport to spring this all on the rest of the family, he tries to imagine the look on Sanford's face when he tells him that he wants to help Trey. What the hell is happening to him?


	26. Chapter 26

A/N: It lives! All right, so having to rely on other people's computers just didn't seem to work out so well so I finally bit the bullet and bought a new laptop. Then it took a few days to get myself back in the swing. It was kind of hard getting back into it but here it is. Apologies for the lengthy delay. I hope to keep updated now that I have the means again. As usual, it's un-beta'd, so the numerous mistakes and fluctuating tenses are all mine. lol. I was tempted to go back and proofread and correct the entire story up until now but who knows when I would've gotten around to an actual update if I'd done that. So, I decided to fore go that thought and just get back to it.

--

Chapter Twenty Six

"You did what?!", Sandy's surprised and somewhat angry voice echoes through the kitchen.

"I went to speak with Trey", Caleb calmly states again.

"Dad? Why would you do that without speaking with us first?", Kirsten asks. Disappointment clear in her voice and on her face. "Ryan's in such a vulnerable place. His family has hurt him so much, dad. I..."

Caleb cuts her off, "I apologize for not discussing it with you first but once I was informed that Mr. Atwood's body was going to be released I felt it would make things easier on the boy if he had some input from someone who might understand his feelings for the man. Someone he would be comfortable sharing the load with."

Sandy sighs but understands the intent. "All right, Cal. I get why you went but why wouldn't you okay it with us first, after everything that's gone on? I would have liked to have been the one to talk with Trey."

"I suppose that's why I did an end run around you. I wanted to see and judge this boy for myself. I made the mistake of prejudging Ryan. I didn't want to make the same mistake", Caleb admits.

Ryan's voice suddenly joins the conversation. "You saw Trey?", he asks as he slowly enters the room.

"What are you doing up, kiddo? We didn't wake you did we?", Sandy asks as he and Kirsten both spring from their seats to help him to a chair. He'd left Ryan sound asleep only moments earlier. He'd had some fitful moments of sleep so Sandy stayed to make sure it didn't escalate into a full blown nightmare. When his sleep finally seemed to settle into a peaceful one he'd gone in search of Kirsten, whom he'd found sleeping in their bedroom. He'd just crawled into bed with her, gently snuggling up to her, when the phone rang. It was Caleb, informing them that he was about fifteen minutes away and would be there shortly to discuss some things. He'd hung up before giving them a chance to question what things or to ask where he was coming from. Sandy had rolled his eyes at Caleb's expecting them to just hop to whenever he called. Nevertheless, he and Kirsten reluctantly roused themselves from bed and went to the kitchen to put on a fresh pot of coffee to wait for King Caleb to grace them with his presence.

Ryan just gives a shake of the head, not taking his eyes off of Caleb as he asks, "Is he ok?".

"He seemed fine. He was concerned about you", Caleb replies.

Ryan tries to hide a grimace as he takes a seat at the table.

"Oh, honey. You really need to get your rest", Kirsten says with a shake of her head. "You shouldn't be on your feet so much."

Ryan gives her a side glance, "I know. I just kind of moved wrong and it woke me up and I couldn't get back to sleep".

"Do you need a pain pill?", Kirsten asks as she worriedly looks him over.

Ryan absently nods, too focused on Caleb to even try to hide his discomfort. "Why'd you go see Trey?", he asks him as Kirsten gets up to retrieve his pain meds and a bottle of water from the refrigerator.

Caleb risks a look at Sandy for approval and at his nod he tells Ryan the reason for his visit. "They're releasing your dad's body tomorrow and I thought you might like to have some of his input to help in making some decisions."

Ryan bites his lower lip and softly says, "Ok. What do I need to do?"

"Well, you need to decide between cremation or burial. Trey seemed to think that he'd prefer cremation", Caleb says and looks to Ryan for confirmation.

"Uh, yeah, I guess. If that's what Trey thinks", Ryan says as he shifts uncomfortably in his seat.

"All right. Trey also said that your grandparents are buried in Fresno?"

Ryan nods. "Yeah. I remember dad saying that once."

"So do you agree that he should be buried there?", Caleb asks. At Ryan's nod he continues, "Then what we need to do is pick a funeral home and to decide how you want to proceed. You can do a direct cremation, which would allow you some time to heal, if you want a service of any kind. The mortuary can store the ashes until you're ready, or you can take possession of them. If you don't want a service, they can also do a direct burial, in which they will proceed immediately and you won't have to do a thing". He looks to Ryan.

Ryan's eyes are cast downward as he chews his lip. They all allow him time to process before he quietly says, "I...it doesn't seem right not to have someone say something. I mean, everyone deserves that don't they? Even him?", he says as he raises his eyes and casts a glance around the table.

Kirsten reaches over and runs a gentle hand through his hair as she asks, "So you want to have a service", more a statement than a question.

Ryan looks down again and asks, "is that...would that be ok?"

"Kid, whatever you feel you need is what we'll do. Ok?", Sandy says with a squeeze of his arm.

Ryan nods and Caleb notices the furrow of his brow. He's clearly struggling with something in is mind. "What is it, Ryan?", Caleb asks softly.

His tone bringing Sandy's eyes to him. He doesn't think he has ever heard Caleb speak in such a gentle manner. He turns his attention back to Ryan. "Ryan? What is it?"

Ryan clears his throat. "What...what about...isn't there usually a, uh, a viewing...b..before...", his voice trails off as he looks to Caleb.

Sandy and Kirsten close their eyes. They'd been hoping that Ryan wouldn't put himself through that. "Honey", Kirsten says, touching his hand to garner his attention. "That is usually what happens but you don't have to do that."

Ryan licks his lips and sighs. "I...it's just that...I...the last time I saw him...I don't know if I want that to be the last memory of him". He shifts in his seat again. "I know he didn't care about me and Trey. I'm not going to pretend like I'm going to miss him but...he...he was always so angry and I..."

Understanding dawns on Kirsten. Her thoughts shift to the photo she saw of the crime scene, with Frank's vacant eyes, blood pooled around him. Maybe it would be better for Ryan to have that last horrific memory replaced by a more serene scene. Many people shy away from the idea of the last memory of a loved one being in a casket but for someone like Ryan, whose life was filled with violence at the hand of this man, it could understandably be a welcome sight. His stillness putting a calm final chapter to that part of his life. She casts a look to Sandy over Ryan's head and sees her thoughts mirrored in his expression.

Ryan's voice breaks through, "Is that even possible, though? I mean, they shot him in the head. The whole side...". His voice trails off as he motions to the side of his head, not able to finish out is sentence. Frank's head had jerked from the impact. There must've been a gaping hole in the side of his head from the exit wound.

Sandy sucks in a breath, not knowing what to say to that. Inwardly cursing Frank Atwood for putting Ryan through any of this. He's a teenage boy whose biggest worry should be about school and girls. Not trying to figure out whether his father's head was too damaged to have an open casket.

Caleb clears his voice. "I'm sure that they can...reconstruct any...areas...in order to make him presentable. If that's what you want, Ryan, I can find out. I'm sure they won't know for certain until they see what they have to work with, so we won't have an answer until tomorrow. I think I've got enough to where I can get started on things. If you don't object, how about I choose the funeral home and arrange for them to pick up the body and give them a preliminary plan, depending on what they find tomorrow".

"Ok. Thanks. And, uh, about the money...", Ryan starts but is stopped by a gesture of Caleb's hand.

"Don't worry about that now, Ryan. We'll work that all out after", Caleb states firmly.

Ryan nods. "I...I really appreciate your help", he says sincerely. Caleb nods back and excuses himself to go make a few more calls.

"Ok, honey. That's enough of this for today. You need to get some rest", Kirsten says as she stands, leaving no room for discussion.

Sandy stands up and helps Ryan rise. They start to turn him toward the stairs but he resists. "Would it be ok if I sit out on the patio for a while?", he asks. "I'll take it easy. I just need some...space". Being locked in a trunk, then a basement, followed by being cooped up in a hospital room and then his bedroom, with people hovering around him for what seemed like every second was getting to him. In some ways he welcomed it. When he was alone his thoughts drifted to places he didn't want to revisit but he really needed to feel...unconfined at the moment.

Sandy and Kirsten share a look and agree. They help him to the poolside lounger and settle him in. Kirsten gets him a blanket and sets a bottle of water beside him. "I don't want you to stay out here too long. We'll be right inside, ok?"

Ryan gives her a small smile and a nod. He blows out a breath once left alone and settles back in the seat, relishing the sun on his face.

Inside, Sandy and Kirsten settle themselves at the table, each keeping an eye out on Ryan. Sandy smiles and shakes his head and Kirsten asks him what he's smiling about.

He shakes his head again and answers, "How did a kid with a heart that big ever spring from a Frank and Dawn union? Even now, after all his dad did to him, he wants to do right by him." He sighs. "I should check in with Mark and see if he's tracked down Dawn. As much as I dread her showing up in his life again, especially now, it's only a matter of time before Ryan decides that maybe she should be a part of things."

"Who should be a part of what now?", a rumpled Seth interjects as he wanders into the kitchen and makes a beeline for the coffee pot. "..and where's Ryan? He's not in his room."

Sandy nods his head in the direction of the patio. "He wanted a little fresh air. We were making funeral arrangements for Frank".

Seth stops mid sip, eyebrows raising as high as possible. "What? Funeral? Why was I left out of the loop? He wants a funeral? Like an actual funeral? After what he did?"

"Seth", Kirsten says with a frown. "Keep your voice down and, yes, Ryan wants some kind of service. So you hold your tongue around him. Got it?"

Seth holds his hand up placatingly. "Ok, ok. Chill mom. It's just...don't pretend like you don't want to just stuff him in the ground or feed him to the fish or something".

"It's not about what we want, Seth", Sandy says. "It's what Ryan seems to need, so that's what we'll do. Caleb is checking on some details we'll need before trying to finalize anything and I'm going to check with Mark and see if he had ever found any leads on Dawn so I can be prepared if Ryan wants to find her to let her know about the funeral."

They fill Seth in on the rest of what was discussed and he suggests going out and seeing if Ryan's ok.

"He wanted some space, Seth", Sandy says.

"I won't bother him. I'll just see if he needs anything or wants to talk and if he doesn't I'll leave him alone", Seth promises. He heads out and pulls a chair next to Ryan. "Hey", he says.

Ryan doesn't look at him but returns the greeting.

"You need anything?", Seth asks.

"Nah. I'm good", Ryan says as he stares off in the distance. He knows Sandy and Kirsten must have filled him in. He sees Seth's knee start bouncing as he falls silent. Ryan watches him out of the corner of his eye for a few seconds, cataloging the ever increasing speed of the movement soon accompanied by the thrumming of his fingers. "Spit it out, Seth", half amused at Seth's rather impressive attempt at remaining silent. For him anyway.

"What? Uh, oh, yeah. Uh, you wanna talk...about...", Seth not so smoothly sputters out.

Ryan sighs and say, "Not really. I just want it all over with, ya know?"

Seth bobs his head up and down. "Yeah. I get that", he says in agreement. The knee bouncing resumes and also starts doing that thing he did up in Ryan's room, filling his cheek with air and then poking it with his finger.

Ryan gives him a side glance and shakes his head. "I know you guys don't think he deserves a funeral but he was my dad. He's the reason I exist, and he wasn't born a sadistic bastard. He was somebody's kid...he was...". He starts to say that he was loved by his parents but Ryan doesn't know that. Dawn and Frank didn't love him so whose to say his grandparents loved Frank at all. Maybe they were assholes to him and that's why he was so fucked up. He frowns, "I just think...shit, I don't know what I think. Look, if you or your parents don't want to go..."

"Dude, maybe you should have your head checked again", Seth says with a smirk. "That's not the way family works. Most families. Uh, _this_ family...", no longer smirking. "Sorry, man."

"It's ok. I know what you mean", Ryan says softly.

Seth mentally takes a breath and tries again. "Hey, man. Honestly, I don't care what happens to your dad at this point but it's not really about him right now for us. Whatever you need, we'll do", he says echoing his dad's comments. He asks again if Ryan needs anything and Ryan tells him that he just wants to sit outside a little while longer. "Ok. I'll leave you to it. The 'rents will probably be out in a few to herd you back inside." At Ryan's nod he heads back inside, patting Ryan on the shoulder as he passes. He misses the small smile it brings to Ryan's face.

True to Seth's word, Sandy and Kirsten came out a short time later encouraging Ryan to return to his bedroom to get some rest. Ryan acquiesces, the fresh air, ocean sounds, and a breeze rustling the leaves on the trees was beginning to lull him to sleep. He almost wants to ask if he could sleep there for a little while instead of encased within the bedroom walls but he can already hear the reasons against it most likely having to do with him catching a chill and a reminder about pneumonia. Instead he allows them to guide him inside and up the stairs.

Once the funeral is done he can move on, and he might even get to see Trey outside of prison walls. It's almost over, he tells himself once he settles into bed and starts to drift off.


	27. Chapter 27

**I forced myself to stay away from "Deception" long enough to finish this chapter of this one...sorry for the delay for those keeping up with this one.**

**--**

Chapter Twenty Seven

Ryan awoke with a start, taking a moment to process his surroundings. Oh, yeah. Guest bedroom. No. _His _bedroom. In the house. He was still getting used to that. He threw the covers back and stiffly rose to a sitting position. The house was quiet. It was early yet. The day of his dad's service had arrived. Trey had been approved for a 24 hour pass thanks to Sandy's legalese and Caleb's intimidation and promises to take full responsibility of him. The funeral home had said that the coroner had actually done quite well with the body and they would indeed be able to make Frank presentable for a viewing but they had informed Caleb that it would need to proceed with the service very soon. So Caleb had taken care of everything on Friday and the funeral was set for Sunday. They'd decided to go ahead and do both the visitation and the burial on the same day, in Fresno, since otherwise Trey would only be allowed a pass to attend one or the other. Trey didn't want Ryan to have to go through either without him there. The Cohens hadn't wanted Ryan to make that trek to Fresno yet but in the end the appeal of having this part of things all over and done with had won out. Caleb was going to pick up Trey and meet them at the funeral home for the visitation and then they would all go to the cemetery. Trey would then come back to Newport to stay overnight and Caleb would take him back the following morning. Sandy had informed him that he'd tried to track down Dawn to let her know but they were unable to locate her. He'd promised to keep looking.

He sighs and pushes himself off the bed. God, this was getting old. He knew it had only been five days but he was tired of hurting. Tired of thinking about all of this. He went into the bathroom and splashed some water on his face, avoiding looking at himself in the mirror. He already knew he looked like a freak show. The dark purples and blues still covered much of his body. He knew from experience that it would be another week or so before they started to fade to that lovely yellowish green color.

He decides not to try to go back to sleep and slowly makes his way downstairs. No one else seems to be up. He gets some coffee started and heads toward the patio. Opening the door, he feels that there's a slight chill in the air so he goes back to the living room and grabs a blanket, heading off any reprimands about being outside on such a cool morning since he's still trying to keep pneumonia at bay with his fractured ribs. He wraps the blanket around himself and eases into a lounger. Before he knows it, he's drifting off to sleep.

Sandy had awakened and saw Ryan through their bedroom window. He watches him settle and promptly fall asleep beside the pool. He decides to let him be, save for grabbing another blanket and laying it across him. He had remembered Ryan telling him that he'd always had a hard time sleeping through the night and had checked on him frequently since his ordeal. He'd been up even more than usual the past couple of days, since finalizing the burial arrangements for his father. The kid needed rest so he could heal. He still looked like hell and Sandy and Kirsten were concerned about how this funeral would affect him but they were also eager to put it behind them so Ryan could move forward and start to deal with what he'd been through.

Kirsten stirs, reaching for Sandy but finding his side of the bed empty. She opens her eyes and they land on him standing by the window. She gets up and walks up behind him, wrapping her arms around his midsection. "Good morning", she whispers as she kisses his cheek. He reciprocates and leans back into her arms. Her eyes trail out the window and settle on Ryan's sleeping form. She lifts her head and frowns. "He shouldn't be out there honey. He could catch a cold and with his ribs still hurting him he..."

"He has two blankets, Kirsten. You know he hasn't been sleeping well. I think he needs the rest wherever it comes to him. We won't let him stay out there long. He'll have to get up soon to get ready for the funeral anyway", he says.

"You're right. I just worry about him. Those awful bruises...and this is going to be such a hard day for him", Kirsten says with a sigh.

Sandy smiles and turns around so he can hug her back. "I love how you worry about him", he says with a kiss. "We'll get him through this day and we can start helping him heal".

Kirsten frowns, "You met Trey. What did you think of him? I know it will be good for Ryan to have someone there that knows what he's feeling but I can't help but worry. He did get Ryan arrested."

"I know what you mean. I never spent much time with him. He's a little cocky but I think he cares for Ryan. I think we'll just have to be vigilant once Trey's released", he says.

Kirsten nods and pulls away. "Well, the sooner we get this day started..."

Sandy reluctantly agrees. She's right. The sooner this day is over the better.

They go about their morning routine and then lay out the clothes they'll be wearing to the service. They have a brief conundrum about just how to dress for it. Funerals generally called for more formal black attire to show respect but they had no respect for this man being buried today. Even if they had, the formal attire would have seemed over the top. So they opted for a semi-casual look, with Sandy just wearing a black button down shirt and black pants and Kirsten wearing a black pantsuit. They were merely going to be there to support Ryan. And Trey. They couldn't even begin to imagine what might go through those boys' heads as they laid their father to rest.

They start to make their way to the kitchen and encounter a bleary eyed Seth coming down the stairs.

They say good morning and Seth grumpily grunts in response and staggers to the kitchen and makes a beeline for the coffee maker. He pours himself a cup, slowly savors a drink and then sighs contentedly.

Sandy chuckles and has a thought that maybe they are all entirely too addicted to caffeine. "Sleep well, son?", he asks, receiving another grunt in return. While the recent events had allowed a subdued mood to settle over the household, Seth was still usually much more verbal than this. Sandy sensed this day was going to take a toll on Seth as well. "Seth?", he prompts, trying to get him started.

Seth looks up from his cup and makes eye contact. He hadn't slept well. He was not particularly looking forward to seeing Ryan's psychotic dad's corpse and he was really nervous about meeting Trey. Hell, why was he even going if Trey was going to be there? It's not like Ryan was going to need him when he had his real brother there. He sighs. "No, father. I did not sleep all that well. In fact, I'd kind of like to go back to bed and give it another go. Isn't that what they say? If at first you don't succeed, try and try again? Well, I'd like to try and try again...even if it takes all day.", Seth rambles.

Sandy steps forward and places a hand on Seth's shoulder. "Seth. Ryan needs us all there. It's going to be awkward and uncomfortable for all of us but today is about Ryan, not his father".

Seth sighs and nods. "I know. It's just...", he trails off not wanting to let his jealousy show. Summer would tell him that he's being self absorbed and that he's not in competition with Trey but he can't help it. He wishes that Trey wouldn't have been able to get a pass. A part of him knows that Ryan might benefit from having his brother there but, damn it, he was Ryan's brother now. One that didn't get Ryan arrested. Well, it was his idea for Ryan to hide out in the model home, which ultimately ended up with him getting tossed in juvie. So he could sorta be held responsible for that but Ryan came back from seeing Trey at Thanksgiving with a black eye. He never...ok, he did get Ryan into that fight that first weekend. The fight that set his mom off and made her angry enough to make his dad take Ryan back to Chino and there was the whole "IMAX" incident. Plus, he did invite Donnie to that party against Ryan's better judgment which ended up with someone getting shot. So maybe he wasn't making the best choices either and Ryan could have gotten into serious trouble for any one of those things. Maybe this brother thing isn't so cut and dry. Maybe Trey had his good points. There was no denying the affect Trey had on Ryan during The Meltdown. A meltdown that _he _caused from that stupid assed ring tone. He glances up and notices his parents looking at him worriedly. Just how long has he been standing there letting his mind wander off on its own? "Uh, sorry", he says. "I just..."

Kirsten steps in. "Is this about Trey?"

Seth looks up in surprise.

Kirsten smiles gently. "Honey, I'm a little nervous about meeting him, too. I have mixed feelings about him being at the service. On the one hand, I think Ryan needs him there but on the other hand..."

"He got him arrested", Seth finishes.

Sandy says, "We can't place all of the blame on Trey. Ryan made a choice to get in that car with him. He shares the responsibility". His eyes trail past Seth and onto the patio and he's secretly thankful that Ryan made that decision. Ryan wouldn't be with them now if he hadn't. "How about you go wake Ryan and we'll get breakfast started?"

Seth nods and grabs another cup of coffee for Ryan and heads out onto the patio. He pauses and studies Ryan's sleeping form for a moment. His bruises are still ugly and prominent and he shakes his head at the thought of going to "pay respect" to the man that put those bruises there. He sets the coffee down on the patio table and pulls up a chair beside the lounger. He reaches out and gently places his hand on Ryan's shoulder and gives a little squeeze and a shake. "Hey, dude. Rise and shine".

Ryan stirs instantly and grimaces at the movement. He opens his eyes and then turns his head toward Seth. He tries to sit up a little and says, "Hey". He rubs his eyes and asks what time it is.

"It's about 7:00. The 'rents are making breakfast. Well, dad's making breakfast. Mom's just handing him things, I'm sure. I hope. Even that can be a challenge for her in the kitchen. Here's some coffee, dude."

Ryan pushes himself up more and takes the coffee. He takes a grateful sip. They sit in silence a while before Ryan hands the cup back to Seth. He swings his legs off the lounger and goes to push himself up, taking note of the second blanket. Seth wordlessly steps up to give him a hand. "Thanks, man", he says with a sigh.

They walk inside the house and Kirsten greets Ryan with a gentle hug and a kiss on the forehead. Ryan still shies away from her with a blush but he's getting used to all of the physical contact. Anymore, Kirsten just can't seem to not touch him when she's near. He thinks it's just because of all that's happened and will stop once all of this is finally behind them. Although, he kinda hopes it doesn't.

"Sandy's making scrambled eggs and bacon. I'm making the toast...quiet Seth. I can make toast", she says firmly. At Seth's looks she says, "ok, usually, I can make toast. Sheesh. Burn it one time because you forget to change the setting...". She turns her attention back to Ryan. "I want you to eat as much as you can, honey. I want you to take a pain pill before we go, with that ride to Fresno and back. Ok?"

Ryan lowers himself to a chair at the table as he nods. He won't argue. He's already tense and that's not helping his already sore muscles and ribs. Maybe the painkillers will loosen him up so he can get through this day.

The table is already set and Sandy dishes out the eggs and bacon and they all start to eat. Ryan is quiet and chatter is minimal as they all keep throwing glances at him to try and discern how he's coping. He takes tentative bites but mostly pushes his food around. His thoughts drifting to Trey.

"Ryan?", Sandy's voice grabs his attention. "How are you doing, kid?"

Ryan's eyes trail across the table. He shifts in his seat and says, "uh, I'm ok, I guess". He frowns and adds, "I guess I'm a little nervous about seeing Trey. The, uh, the last time I saw him didn't exactly go well".

"What happened on Thanksgiving, Ryan? I never asked how things went and I should have. Especially with you showing up with a black eye", Sandy states.

Ryan winces a little. He had hoped they'd forgotten about that.

Seth chimes in, "yeah, dude. Spill". Normally he wouldn't push in front of the 'rents but they're about to meet Trey soon and he wants to know just how much of a chance he should give him.

Sandy and Kirsten both look at Seth, surprised that even Seth was oblivious to what went down when Ryan visited his brother.

Ryan looks sharply at Seth and then shifts his gaze to Sandy and Kirsten. Shit. Judging from the looks on their faces they're not going to let it go this time. Oh well. At least Trey's already got the 24 hour pass. He hopes they still let him stay overnight after they hear it. He looks down and clears his throat. "Uh, well...", he looks up as he tries to figure out where to start.

Seth decides to try to get the ball rolling. "That morning you said that you were afraid that Trey wanted something from you...", he let's the statement hang, hoping it was enough to give Ryan a starting point.

Ryan nods. "Yeah...and I was right. He didn't want to just see me. He wanted me to...uh, do something for him", he cryptically says as he eyes Sandy for a reaction. He notices Sandy and Kirsten tense a bit and swallows before going on. "He, uh...he owed someone some money and needed me to...do something for him", he again stops short of actually telling them.

"Ryan, what exactly did Trey want you to do?", Sandy asks in a tone that conveyed his growing impatience.

Ryan chews his lip and then slowly and quietly says, "he wanted me to pick up a car and deliver it to the guy he owed money". His eyes are cast downward as he waits for the explosion. When none comes he looks up and meets Sandy's unreadable eyes. He shifts his gaze to Kirsten and she's a little easier to read. Her lips are pursed and she's clearly disappointed. He looks down again.

"Just to make sure I'm hearing you right, Trey wanted you to pick up a stolen car and deliver it. I'm assuming you did it?", Sandy asks with a frown.

Ryan's stomach rolls as he nods.

Sandy takes a breath. "Ok, Ryan. Make me understand this. Help me understand why you would take such a risk with your probation."

Ryan shifts in his seat uncomfortably. "I...he's my brother. He was in trouble. There were a couple of guys on the inside that were...pressuring him to settle the debt. Like, physically pressuring him. I know it was wrong. I know I shouldn't have done it but...but he's my brother. They could have killed him. They _would_ have killed him. If I had turned him down and something had happened to him, I wouldn't have been able to live with myself. So...so I did it and I told him that was it. I told him that I was done and not to ask me for anything ever again and then he said he was sorry and that we should go our separate ways. That I should cut my ties and forget about him."

"That's why you were afraid that he wouldn't call you back", Kirsten stated. At Ryan's nod she asks, "what about the black eye. How did you get that?"

Ryan blew out a breath before answering. "Interest. On the debt. They said there was interest to be collected and, uh, they tried to collect it", he said, once again looking down at the table.

Seth takes a turn. "So, let me get this straight, dude. Your brother sent you to pick up and deliver a hot car into the hands of a bunch of guys ready to do you bodily harm to cover the interest on _his_ debt. That's...that's, uh, yeah. Nice. Nice brother ya got there, buddy."

Ryan tenses at that. "Don't, Seth", he warns.

"Don't what?", Seth challenges.

"Don't talk about my brother", Ryan grits out.

"What brother? The brother that got you arrested? The brother that could have gotten you arrested again? Or worse yet, could have gotten you killed?", Seth spits back angrily, not understanding how Ryan could defend him.

Sandy steps in, "Ryan, Seth's right. He could have gotten you killed. If I'd known any of this I wouldn't have agreed to arrange for Trey's pass."

Ryan's eyes shoot to Sandy as he pushes himself up from the table. "He's my brother. He has a right to be there", he says evenly.

"A brother that appears to have a bad influence over you and has proven he can't be trusted with you", Kirsten adds.

Ryan angrily eyes each one of them as he backs away from the table. "You don't know him. None of you do. You have no right to judge him".

"No, we don't know him, Ryan", Sandy says. "but what little we do know is not setting a good pattern. Your brother..."

"_My brother _is the one person I could count on growing up!", Ryan interrupts with his voice rising. "_My brother_ stepped in front of me and a fist or a belt more times than I can count. _My brother_ took care of me when I was sick when mom couldn't be bothered. My brother took care of me the best way he knew how. He didn't have anyone there to show him the right way. He didn't have a Sandy Cohen to help him. So, yeah, he made some bad choices. He did what he could. Yeah, he stole money or food when my stomach was so empty it hurt. Yeah, he stole me a jacket when the one I had to make do with for years fell apart. HE didn't have anyone watching his back until I was old enough to return the favor so don't any of you dare judge him. You don't have the right. You don't know what it was like and I won't stand here and listen to you cut him down! He has always...ALWAYS come through for me when it really counted." He's breathing heavily at the outburst, ignoring the pain in his ribs. He turns to leave the room but stops and adds, "I don't think I want you at the funeral".

The three Cohens are all standing now in a stunned silence before Sandy tries to regain control. "Ryan, just hold on. You've just caught us off guard with what happened at Thanksgiving with Trey. We're just trying to process it all and we just need..."

"No", Ryan says shaking his head. "I don't want you there looking down your noses at my brother while we bury our father. I don't need you there. I don't want you there. I'll ride with Caleb", he states, giving them a look daring them to argue before leaving the room.

"That went well", Seth says sarcastically.

Kirsten and Sandy sit back down at the table wondering how in the world things went off the rails so fast. Today of all days. They were supposed to be making this day easier for Ryan, not adding to the stress.

Sandy rubs a hand down his face. This was going to be a long day.

--

**Ok, so this chapter went all awry. lol. I had planned on getting right to the funeral with Trey but then this whole argument just kind of came out. Plus, it was kind of hard getting things moving because I'm at a point in both of my fics where I'm trying to work Trey in. So I keep kind of confusing the fics in my head. Anyway, I finally got this one out and will get back to "Deception" and hopefully get the next chapter of that one out before the weekend is done. I know I said that last weekend but it's been all crazy and I haven't been home as much as I'd thought.**

**So, I really don't know about this chapter but there it is. This fic is moving along really slowly, I know, but that's just the way things keep working out for me. lol. **


	28. Chapter 28

**ok, this one's longer but really nothing exciting happens. Just laying some groundwork and getting the funeral out of the way. I know I said that I'd try to get the next chapter of "Deception" out this weekend but I figured I'd better strike while the iron was still hot on this one. **

**Anyway, I hope this one doesn't put you to sleep. lol. **

--

Chapter Twenty Eight

One by one each of the Cohens tried to smooth things over with Ryan. Sandy and Kirsten knew that they couldn't let Ryan's decisions surrounding his Thanksgiving visit with Trey go but they realized that this was not the time to dwell on it. So they'd each tried to talk to Ryan but he wasn't having any of it. He had already called Caleb and arranged for him to wait until he hurriedly got ready before leaving to pick up Trey. Sandy and Kirsten had also called Caleb and explained the situation and impressed upon Caleb how important it was to keep a close eye on Trey. Seth had also tried to talk to Ryan, albeit halfheartedly. He was still a little pissed himself. He couldn't understand Ryan's defense of Trey after Ryan himself had told Trey he was done with him. Trey was no good for Ryan. Ryan admittedly recognized it. Hell, Trey realized it. So Ryan had no call to go off on him or his parents for telling him the same thing. Sandy and Kirsten tried one last time. The last ditch effort resulted in Ryan telling them all that he didn't care what they did but that he was going with Caleb. They took it as a tacit invitation. Not that they wouldn't have still gone anyway but it was a step up from his blatant request that they not attend. So they all got changed and hoped that by the time they met up at the funeral home Ryan would be more receptive. They'd just have to be very careful about their interaction with Trey. It was only for one day. This one last obstacle before revisiting the therapist idea with Ryan. It was more clear than ever that there were some well hidden land mines that they needed to address.

Ryan sat quietly in the passenger seat of Caleb's car. He had muttered a quick greeting and a thank you for allowing him to ride with him but other than that he'd remained silent, watching the scenery go by as they headed to Chino. He fidgets in the seat a little bit and a sharp pain causes him to realize that he hadn't taken his painkiller before he left. Great. He sighs.

Caleb had been sneaking glances at Ryan during the ride but didn't press him for any conversation before now. He figured that if the boy wanted to talk he'd talk but the sigh catches his attention and he decides to feel him out. "Are you feeling all right, Ryan?" He had caught a grimace when Ryan had gotten into the car and what skin on his face that wasn't mottled with bruising seemed a bit pale .

Ryan looks at him. "Yeah. I'm fine", he says. He was sure Sandy and Kirsten would have filled Caleb in on why he wanted to ride with him instead of them and had been surprised when Caleb didn't give his two cents on the matter. He was still having a hard time figuring Caleb out and he wasn't in the mood to play games right now. "Go ahead and say it", he says.

Caleb frowns. "Go ahead and say what?", he asks as he looks at Ryan.

Ryan meets his gaze for a second before Caleb turns his eyes back to the road. "Aren't you going to share your opinion of Trey and tell me he's bad news? I mean, considering what you thought of me, I can't imagine what you must think of him seeing as he's where you think I ought to be", Ryan challenges.

"Look, Ryan. I was wrong about you. I've admitted that I judged you harshly. KiKi and Sanford relayed the morning's events and they are concerned about the pull Trey may have on you and you can't honestly tell me that you don't understand why."

Ryan has to admit he had him there. He doesn't really know why he got so angry at them. They weren't telling him anything he hadn't already told himself. It was just that Trey was his brother. His family. The only one of his family that he felt ever really cared about him at all. He couldn't let the Cohens push him out of his life. He can't lose him, too.

When Ryan doesn't reply Caleb goes on. "I haven't spent an abundance of time with your brother but I have spent more time with him than Sanford or KiKi", Caleb states. "Obviously, he needs to learn some self control and some better judgment but then again don't we all", he says honestly. He's done his share of illegal activities. He's just never been caught. "He's blunt and more open than you...", he glances at Ryan before going on. "But I can see shades of each one of you in one another."

Ryan listens quietly, surprised at the somewhat fond tone Caleb has taken on. He doesn't seem to dislike Trey. Huh. The old man was a hard guy to nail down. "Uh, thanks?"

Caleb laughs at the questioning tone. "I did indeed intend that as a compliment, Ryan. Your brother was very concerned about you when I visited him. I imagine you both relied on each other a great deal growing up".

Ryan nods and says, "Yeah. For a while anyway. When we moved to Chino, he, uh, started staying away more and more. The last couple of years he wasn't around much at all really."

"Yes. He mentioned that. He said he sometimes made matters worse and felt that you might be all right without him there. He feels badly for leaving you to fend for yourself", Caleb reveals. Not sure if he should be sticking his nose in here or not. He feels Ryan's eyes on him and looks over. "As I said, he is a bit more open than you."

Ryan shakes his head and looks away. He can't believe his brother talked about their shit with Caleb Nichol. He can't believe he was sitting here talking to him about it. Hell, a few months ago he wouldn't have stayed in the same room with this guy for two minutes and now here he was willingly riding in a car with him. Alone. He was actually feeling some of the tension drain from his body at being able to talk about Trey without having to be defensive about it. He can hear no condemnation for his brother in Caleb's voice and he can't get over how fucking weird that is. It's like bizarro world. So much so that he finds himself actually continuing the conversation. "He shouldn't feel bad. I don't blame him for wanting out. I probably would have done the same thing if the situation was reversed".

Somehow Caleb doesn't think that's true. Now that he's finally taken the time to get to know the boy a bit he doesn't strike him as the sort to walk away from anyone. He nods in acknowledgment just the same.

Ryan is oddly comfortable talking about Trey with Caleb, in a way that he was never able to with the Cohens. All that had happened with his father had smudged the lines he'd so painstakingly drawn between his old life and his new but he felt no need for those lines with Caleb. Maybe it was because Caleb hadn't anything invested in Ryan. He had no expectations. Well, not anymore. He no longer expected Ryan to rob his daughter blind and just seemed to take him as he was. Whatever the reason, Ryan easily shares childhood stories about Trey dragging him everywhere with him, just to keep him out of the house and away from any volatile home situations. He doesn't delve too deep into the darker aspects, leaving out details he doesn't really feel like saying out loud.

Caleb listens with interest, letting Ryan speak with little interruption. Mostly only encouraging the conversation by offering attentive nods and gestures to show he was listening. He had never heard the boy talk so freely before. Not that he'd spent a great deal of time with him but he always seemed so selective and guarded with his words. Before he knew it they have reached their destination. He pulls into a parking space and tells Ryan to wait in the car, telling him they shouldn't be too long but that he brought Trey a change of clothes and so it would be a few minutes. He leaves the keys in the car, telling Ryan to start it up if he got too warm while he was waiting. Ryan suddenly flashes to the first night Sandy had brought him home, not knowing if he should leave the keys in the car or not. He shakes his head at the way his thoughts are jumping all over the place. This is going to be a weird day.

As Caleb opens the back door to grab the clothes he had brought for Trey, Ryan turns his head to make eye contact. "Mr. Nichol?"

Caleb looks up as he's reaching in and meets his gaze.

"Uh, thanks for all of this. You know, for coming to talk to Trey before and helping him get out today. It, uh...just...thanks", Ryan says.

Caleb simply clears his throat and nods and closes the door. He tries to make sense of the feeling in his gut as he walks toward the building. Damn, the boy is really getting to him.

Caleb gives the guard the change of clothes so they can be inspected before bringing them to Trey and allowing him to stop and change before being brought out. Caleb hears a rash of catcalls and vulgar statements being yelled and seconds later Trey is led through the door. He looks like a different young man out of the prison garb. He looks pretty sharp. Julie had done well picking out something for him to wear. She had scoffed when he'd asked her to buy something for Trey. She had come to accept Ryan and was fine with Caleb's change of heart about him but Trey was another story. One delinquent from Chino was enough. Ryan had slowly started to shed his past and had come to be accepted in the community as a part of the Cohens family but she had no desire to become more fodder for the gossip mill, being connected to Trey in any way. The recent events with Ryan's father had brought them all to the forefront as it was. She had been trying to distance herself from it all by spending time away from home and spending money like nothing out of the ordinary was going on. Caleb reminded her of where she was getting that money and she reluctantly agreed to add a few items for Trey to her shopping list.

"Hey", greets Trey as he messes with the collar and sleeves of the expensive shirt. "Thanks for these. Too bad they're being wasted on that son of bitch I called dad".

Caleb returns the greeting and quickly fills Trey in that something transpired with the Cohens and that Ryan was waiting out in the car.

Trey asks what happened and grimaces at the mention of Thanksgiving. Great. They're not going to want him anywhere near Ryan. "Shit", he says with closed eyes. "I didn't mean to cause any trouble between them and the kid. Maybe I shouldn't go."

"Nonsense", Caleb states with a wave of his hand. "It's done. Nothing you can do about it now. Your brother is waiting", he says as he turns back to the prison staff. They fit Trey with an ankle monitor and they sign some papers and acknowledge that they understand the conditions of the temporary release and are reminded that Trey is due back in exactly 24 hours.

Trey nervously rubs his hands on his pants as they exit the building. He's nervous about what he'll see in Ryan's eyes when he sees him. The kid's been through some fucked up shit. Caleb points out his car and Trey strides quickly to it.

Caleb watches as Trey pulls the front passenger door open, unhooks Ryan's seat belt and gently tugs him out of the car. Once Ryan is out he pulls him into a gentle hug. "Hey, LB". Caleb hears the sharp intake of air as Trey pulls back and takes a good look at Ryan. He puts a hand under Ryan's chin and tilts his head up and turns it, taking in the bruising on his neck. "Shit, Ry...that son of a bitch", he whispers as he rests his forehead against Ryan's. "I'm sorry, man. I shoulda been there." Ryan mumbles something that Caleb can't make out and Trey pulls him into another quick hug before helping him settle back into the car. After he shuts the door he turns to Caleb and says through gritted teeth, "It's a good thing that mother fucker is dead or I'd kill him myself", and then he climbs into the back and slides to the middle of the seat. Caleb gets in and fastens his seat belt and then tells Trey to sit back and fasten his.

Trey snorts and makes no move from his position. "Oh, come on, old man. Let's get this show on the road", he says leaning forward with his arms rested on the backs of the front seats. His head poking through so he can easily talk to Ryan.

"We won't leave this parking lot until you're seated properly", Caleb firmly states.

Trey looks up and meets Caleb's eyes in the rear view mirror, still not moving. "What am I? Five?", he says.

"You're acting like it", Caleb replies. "Now sit back and fasten your belt".

Trey's eyesbrows raise.

Caleb's eyes narrow.

Trey gives in. He sighs and slides over behind the driver's seat and buckles in with a scowl, muttering curse words under his breath. Finally, he looks up again and catches Ryan watching him with a smirk on his face. "Shut up..._Spritle_", he says with a smirk of his own.

Ryan's eyes widen and he casts a quick glance at Caleb. His face flushed with embarrassment at the nickname. They used to watch Speed Racer cartoons when they were kids and Trey's friends had taken to calling him "Spritle" with the way he was always tagging along and sometimes getting in the way. Some of them would even call him "Chim-Chim".

Caleb fights back a laugh at the horror on Ryan's face and then just sits back and listens to the banter. Trey is keeping it light, deftly steering the conversation away from any darker subjects that start to rise. He doesn't mention his incarceration. He doesn't directly mention their father. Instead, like Ryan earlier, focusing on fonder memories between the two, when they were away from home and getting into mischief. For all intents and purposes, it appears that Trey raised Ryan. There are certain character traits that seem to be solely Ryan's but Caleb wonders if Ryan would have turned out as well as he had if he hadn't had Trey there with him growing up. He knows Sandy and Kirsten have their concerns about the boy's influence on Ryan but Trey clearly played an important part in shaping Ryan into who he is.

They arrive at the funeral home and Ryan tenses. He was grateful to Trey for trying so hard to keep him distracted. Here he was on his way to bury the man who first gave him life and then tried to take it from him and he was actually fighting back laughter on occasion. Trey had a way of spinning their life like it wasn't anything out of the ordinary and, at the time, Ryan didn't realize it was out of the ordinary. He spots the Cohens car and is simultaneously relieved and apprehensive. He's glad they came, despite what he said earlier, but he wants them to like Trey and he wants Trey to like them. However, knowing them all, he just knows they are going to clash.

"You ready for this, LB?", Trey asks as he opens Ryan's door and squats down to be more at eye level.

Ryan hadn't even noticed him and Caleb getting out of the car. He takes a breath and nods and Trey stands and helps him out of the car.

The Cohens are watching from inside the funeral home. They'd been waiting for Caleb to pull up. Anxious about how Ryan was going to receive them being there and anxious about what affect Trey's presence was going to have on him.

Caleb and Trey flank Ryan, ready to steady him if needed. The ride had been hell on his ribs and had tired him out. Trey makes a joke about psyching themselves up to see Frank "lying in wait". Caleb can't help the smirk that appears at the play on the phrase.

Ryan chuckles and shakes his head. "You're such a fucking idiot", he laughs.

"What? It's more fitting for the bastard", Trey says.

The Cohens don't know what to make of a smirking Caleb, a laughing Ryan and an idignant Trey entering the funeral home. That certainly wasn't the state of mind they expected to find Ryan in.

Ryan tenses again as Trey and the Cohens come face to face. He feels a hand on his shoulder and looks over to Caleb and nods thanks at the supportive, yet surprising, gesture.

Trey immediately acknowledges them. "Mr. Cohen", he says and then turns to Kirsten and Seth. "So, you must be the new mom and the new brother", he states. "I'm Trey. The old brother", he says with a smirk. Half trying to keep it light but also wanting to reassert his position in Ryan's life.

"Uh, yeah. Hey. I'm Seth"

"Kirsten", is all Kirsten says as she extends a hand to shake and studies the young man in front of her a moment before turning to Ryan. "How are you doing, sweetie?"

Ryan frowns at the somewhat dismissive treatment she'd given Trey. It reminded him of the way she looked at him that first weekend when he and Seth had gotten into that fight with Luke and his minions on the beach. "I'm fine", he says curtly. "Can we just get this over with?", he asks tiredly.

Sandy says, "Sure, kid. They're ready for us". He starts to step up to Ryan to lead him in but Trey beats him to the punch.

"Come on, bro", he says as he possessively throws an arm over Ryan's shoulder and guides him inside.

Seth jockey's for position at Ryan's other side. Kirsten starts to follow but Sandy's hand on her arm stops her. She looks at him puzzlingly. "What, Sandy? We have to get in there".

"I know but, Kirsten, we need to be careful. Trey is important to Ryan and despite our reservations about him we need to be open to him", he says.

Kirsten purses her lips. "I haven't done anything, Sandy. I don't know why you're..."

"Kirsten...", is all he says with a raise of his eyebrows.

She sighs. "Ok. So I could have been more...welcoming. It's just...I don't want to lose him, Sandy ."

"It's only one day, Kirsten", he says as he steps up and takes her hands in his.

"I know, but what happens when Trey gets out for good?", she says worriedly.

Those same worries have been going through Sandy's head, too, but he says, "we'll deal with that when the time comes. Now, let's get in there. We need to get this all done and get him home".

Kirsten nods and they turn and walk in, leaving Caleb standing there with a furrowed brow. He'd been quietly observing the not so subtle war for Ryan's affections and loyalties begin. He sighs. What the hell has he gotten himself into. He walks into the viewing room to find Trey and Ryan in front of the casket. Trey's arm still across Ryan's shoulders. His other hand gripping Ryan's right upper arm. Seth is off to Ryan's other side but back a step. Sandy and Kirsten are behind them all, watching the interaction between Trey and Ryan closely. Caleb steps up alongside Kirsten as they wait for both boys to do what they have to do, offering a silent show of support.

Ryan and Trey had both sobered the second they walked into the viewing room. They hesitantly approached the casket and looked in. Trey's stomach churned as he looked down at the still form of a man he hadn't laid eyes on since he was ten years old. Without realizing it his hand grips Ryan's arm tighter, causing Ryan to look over at him. He tries to read Trey's face and sees his own confused feelings mirrored in his expression. He turns back to Frank's body, studying the lifeless form. He flashes to the last time he saw him. He feels the hand around his neck. He sees the cold eyes boring into him as Frank brought the gun up with the intent of putting a bullet in his head. He sees the jerk of Frank's head as the S.W.AT. team's bullet pierces it instead. His breathing quickens and he closes his eyes.

Trey feels the change in Ryan and looks over. "Hey", he whispers. "Ryan? It's ok now. He's gone. He's never gonna touch you again. Ryan?...look at me, bro", he says as he turns Ryan away from the casket. He rests his forehead against Ryan's and looks him in the eye. "Come on. Let's go", he says and then leads Ryan past Seth and the rest of them and out of the funeral home.

The Cohens are left not quite knowing what to do. Kirsten goes to follow and Caleb stops her. "Let them be", he says firmly.

"Yeah, we may as well not even be here anyway. They walked by like we were invisible", Seth says with a frown. He knew he should have stayed home. Ryan doesn't need him here today.

"Seth", Sandy says softly. "Frank was their father. Looking back, Ryan will appreciate that we were here for him. Even if he doesn't turn to us for support today.Trey's his brother. They need to deal with this together."

Seth can't help but wonder what that makes him. Just the "foster" brother. The stand in. The subsitute. One of those people at award shows that fill the seats while the stars go take a piss. He's a seat filler. He sighs.

They all eventually turn to the elephant in the room and look over at the casket.

Sandy walks up to the it and looks down upon the man who has caused Ryan so much pain one final time. He takes a breath and feels Kirsten step up beside him. Seth finally gathers his courage and looks in. He shivers at the sight and quickly walks away. He looks just as scary dead as he did alive. Kirsten can't look at him much longer and pulls Sandy away with her. They go in search of Ryan and Trey.

Caleb is the last to view the body. He had never seen the man face to face. Having only seen pictures that his private investigator had taken. Even in his current state, the man has an intimidating air about him. He can't imagine what it must have been like for two young boys to have that man looming over them. Hurting them. All he can think is good riddance. It's all any of them can think.

Caleb steps out of the funeral home to see Trey and Ryan sitting side by side on a bench. Both smoking a cigarette. He sees a frown on Kirsten's face as she makes her way toward them.

Trey had led Ryan over to the bench and lit up a cigarette and offered it to him. After a very brief hesitation Ryan accepted it and took a deep drag. It hurt his ribs but he figured, hell, he was supposed to be taking deep breaths anyway. So maybe this wasn't what the doctor had in mind but damn did it taste good.

Trey then lit up one of his own and they sat in silence for a few moments trying to process whatever it was they were feeling for their father. Suddenly the sound of clicking heels approach and they look up to see Kirsten standing before them. She has her eyebrows raised as she holds out her hand. Trey frowns as Ryan sighs and hands her the cigarette without question.

Kirsten stomps it out and says, "Thank you", and then turns to Trey. "He shouldn't be smoking with those ribs", she states and then turns back to Ryan. "You shouldn't be smoking at all. Either one of you", as she casts another pointed look at Trey, who bristles at the admonishment. Who the hell does she think she is? He knows how to take care of his brother and he sure as shit doesn't need her telling _him_ what to do.

Sandy, Seth and Caleb join them and Sandy asks if they're ready to go. Ryan nods and Trey helps him stand up. Kirsten and Sandy notice how pale he is and ask if he's sure he's up to continuing. He starts to nod but Trey interrupts, "we don't really need to do this, do we? We don't actually have to see him put in the ground do we? I mean, look at you. You look dead on your feet. Why don't we call it a day?"

Ryan looks unsure and chews his lip. "Shouldn't _someone _be there?"

"Someone will be. Some preacher will be there to say something, right?", he asks as he turns to Caleb.

"That's right, Ryan. That's all been arranged. It's not imperative that you be there. You've paid your respects and you can always go to the grave at a later date if you are so inclined. When you're feeling better", Caleb answers.

Ryan looks at Caleb and then to the Cohens. They all clearly want him to agree but he still feels unsure. He turns back to his brother.

Trey, sensing that Ryan needs one more little push says, "look, man. You've done more than anyone else would have. It's more than he deserved. When I get out, we'll both go together but right now, your ribs have got to be hurting like a bitch. "

Kirsten suddenly gasps. "Oh, Ryan. You never took your pain pill", she just realizes. "I'm so sorry. You must be hurting. Seth, go get my water from the car", she orders as she fumbles in her purse for the pill bottle.

"It's ok. It's not too bad", Ryan tries to assure.

Kirsten steps up and gently brushes the hair from his eyes. "Uh huh", she says with a small smile, knowing that if he's admitting to any pain at all then it must be bad. Seth returns with the water and she shakes out a pill and hands it to Ryan. He takes it and washes it down and then sighs in relief.

Trey watches uncomfortably. Not quite knowing how he feels about watching this woman, this stranger, taking care of his brother. It's better than Dawn, he knows that, but he feels a pang of envy or jealousy or something that he doesn't quite know what to do with.

"So, " Seth breaks the silence. "What's the plan? Onto the cemetery or back to Newport?", he asks, mentally crossing his fingers that Ryan opts for the latter. He feels completely and utterly useless and out of his element here and feels like if they just get back on _his_ turf he can turn the tables on Trey and show that he can do the brother thing, too.

Ryan thinks on it a second before finally agreeing to go back to Newport.

Sandy puts an arm around Ryan and smiles. "Ok, you riding back with us?"

Ryan looks up at him and then his eyes trail over to Kirsten and Seth's hopeful faces. Then he glances at Trey who looks briefly anxious before he masks it and starts walking to Caleb's car. Ryan feels a twinge at the fact that Trey has automatically assumed that he'd choose the Cohens over him. He looks back to the Cohens and hesitantly says, "Uh, I'd kinda like to ride back with Trey...if you don't mind.". He sees Seth's face fall and feels another twinge. Sandy and Kirsten plaster on smiles and say that it's fine. He feels a need to explain just the same. "It's just that he's only going to be here for a day and I..."

Sandy squeezes his shoulder and says, "It's ok, Ryan. Go."

"We'll see you back at the house, sweetie", Kirsten says as she steps up and kisses his cheek.

Ryan turns to Seth and holds out his fist, willing Seth to understand. Seth reaches out and taps fists and then quickly heads to their car. He can't help but feel slighted that Ryan chose Trey.

Sandy and Kirsten watch Ryan make his way to Caleb's car and see Trey's face light up when he sees Ryan is coming with them. They sigh and tell themselves again that it's only for one day and get into the car to head back to Newport.


	29. Chapter 29

Chapter Twenty Nine

The Cohens arrived home and settled in the kitchen to wait for Caleb, Ryan and Trey to arrive. Kirsten put on some coffee and rummaged around in the refrigerator for something to put out on the table.

Seth had retreated to his room to put in a quick call to Summer. He was in desperate need of a pep talk. Only he'd gotten a smack down instead. Summer let him have it for once again making it a competition between him and Trey. She told him to suck it up and play a good host to Ryan's brother. Otherwise he would run the risk of alienating Ryan. Ryan needed all of them right now. He didn't need to be made to take sides. Seth's insecurities were one reason she had wanted to go to the service. To keep Seth from being stupid. It was a hard job. The other reason was as a show of support for Ryan but in the end they'd all decided that it would be best to keep it just the immediate family.

Seth had just returned to the kitchen when the front door opened.

Caleb opened the door and then stepped back so Trey could lead Ryan in. The combination of the ride and the pain medication had lulled Ryan to sleep. He barely stirred the whole way home. Trey had gotten in the car and buckled in with no fanfare. He was happy Ryan had chosen to ride with them. Even if he did sleep the whole way.

"This sucks", Ryan's voice could be heard saying. "I rode with you because you're only here for a little while and I slept the whole way".

"Hey man. It's cool. You needed it. Besides, a few hours of straight me time and you'll be itching to get rid of me", Trey says with a smile.

"Nah. Never happen", Ryan says with a shake of his head.

Trey snorts, "Yeah right, Spritle". He settles Ryan at the kitchen table with the others and takes a seat next to him.

Seth's eyebrows raise as he mouths "Spritle" to Ryan and then turns to Trey. "So, I take it that makes you Speed?"

Trey smirks and says, "hell yeah!". He chuckles and adds, "too bad I didn't have the Mach 5. I wouldn't be cooling my jets in lockup. Me and Ryan would have lost those cops in no time".

Kirsten frowns, not liking Trey making light of him and Ryan getting arrested.

Caleb notices and decides to change the subject. He clears his throat and opens the discussion of where Trey will sleep. He's supposed to stay with Caleb, since he's in his custody but since the houses are in such close proximity, he could probably sleep at either house as long as Caleb was there as well. Julie, not wanting to have to interact with Trey, conveniently made plans for a weekend getaway with Marissa. Seeing as the house would be free of any possible conflict, they decide that Trey will sleep at Caleb's once Ryan was settled in for the night.

Ryan was wiped out from the morning but Kirsten insisted on him trying to eat something before laying down to get some rest. He didn't want to waste any more time sleeping when Trey was only there for the day but he had to admit that shutting his eyes for a little while sounded quite good. Kirsten had gotten some sandwich meat from the deli, along with chips and some veggies from the grocery store, not really knowing what Trey would like to eat. As she pulls out the sandwich ingredients Trey jumps up.

"Hey, can I make mine and Ry's?", he says eagerly as he steps up to the kitchen island. "It's been a long time since I made one for him. You, uh, you got any of those onion rolls? Ry loves those things."

Kirsten frowns, "No, we don't. I didn't know you liked those, Ryan." All of this time and she still didn't really know what he liked to eat. He never conveyed a preference, always just going with whatever anyone else suggested. She'd have to remember that.

Seth also took note. Even on home territory Trey was one-upping him.

Ryan glances up at Kirsten and shrugs, "It's ok. It's not a big deal. You don't need to go to any trouble".

They all watch as Trey makes himself a huge sandwich, piling everything on it, then makes Ryan's, using select ingredients. "I took him to this little corner deli one time and let him pick whatever he wanted. You'd think he won the lottery", he says with a smile. "I mean, at home, we never really had much of a choice. We never had much in the house and whatever Dawn bought, that's what we ate...anyway, so the guy at the counter asks what kind of bread he wants and Ry's eyes got all big. He didn't really know there were any other kinds. School only served white bread or hamburger buns and all Dawn ever bought was cheap white bread. So, this guy shows the different kinds and Ry eyes these onion rolls and points to them. I was sure he'd hate it, with all those little onion bits on top but he loved it. He had them put every single thing on it but by the time he was done, he'd picked half the shit out", Trey said with a laugh, remembering a young Ryan scrunching up his nose when he bit into something he didn't like, then spitting it out. That was one of the few times Ryan openly showed that he didn't like something he was eating.

Ryan just sat listening to Trey ramble, making eye contact with Seth and rolling his eyes. Seth smiles back and decides that he's going to try to gather as much information from Trey as he can before he leaves. It's clear to him that he hasn't even scratched the surface of this brother thing. He probably couldn't even name Ryan's favorite food. Or drink. Or, well, favorite anything besides his favorite band and that just won't do. So, the Seth/Trey brother off was, well, off. Operation pick Trey's brain was on.

"I took him there whenever I could. I used to mow lawns for neighbors for a little extra food money", Trey says as he finishes and sets the plates on the table. "I never did understand how you liked those rolls but didn't like onion on anything".

"I don't like _raw _onions", Ryan clarified as he took a bite and closed his eyes in delight. It had been a long time since he'd had anyone fix him a sandwich just the way he liked it. He didn't know why he always just said, "sure" whenever the Cohens asked if he wanted this or that on his sandwiches. He knew they wouldn't have made a big deal of it if he'd said he didn't like something but, as Trey said, they had to eat what they could get living with Dawn. She always fixed things the way she liked and any complaint resulted in her calling them ungrateful and then dumping it in the trash and then you didn't get anything to eat at all. Old habits died hard, so he just went with the flow and took what was offered to him.

_Onion rolls. Check. No raw onions. Check._ Seth thought, as he started his mental list.

Sandy frowned at this new little bit of information, thinking back on pizzas they'd had delivered. Onions on a pizza weren't completely raw but they usually didn't get cooked much, so his guess would be that Ryan would have preferred not to have them. He wonders what else Ryan didn't like. He and Kirsten loved onions and peppers so they always just ordered supremes. Seth didn't like them so much so he just picked them off but he didn't ever recall Ryan doing the same. He always just ate whatever they ordered. Apparently, even when he had a clear dislike for something. Trey's comments about their eating habits growing up explained the behavior but he was still bothered by the fact that even after all this time with them, Ryan wasn't comfortable expressing a preference. One more thing to add to their ever growing list of things to remedy. He cast a glance toward Kirsten and found her watching the exchange with, what he assumed, was a similar expression to the one he must be wearing.

"So", Trey's voice brought them all out of their thoughts. "You seen or heard from anyone in the old 'hood?"

Ryan swallows a bite of his sandwich while shaking his head. "No, not since Thanksgiving", he says without thinking. His eyes widen as he realizes the can of worms he may have just opened.

Seth stops mid-bite of his own sandwich as Sandy takes a deep breath and Kirsten purses her lips.

Trey notices the suddenly tense atmosphere and sets his sandwich down. "Uh, look, I know I fucked up asking Ryan to do that for me but I didn't have anyone else. If that car didn't get to where it needed to go I'd have been coming out of that jail in a body bag. I'm sorry that I put Ryan in that position but he's the only one that would do it for me".

"Ryan could have been arrested or seriously injured", Sandy says pointedly.

Trey closes his eyes and nods. "I know", he says softly. "...and I never would have forgiven myself if he did but...I didn't see any other way".

Seth jumps in and says, "but nothing did happen. Ryan didn't get arrested. He didn't get hurt. Trey doesn't have to worry about those guys anymore, right?", he asks as he turns to Trey. At Trey's nod he goes on, "and Trey won't ask him to do anything like that again". He aims a couple of raised eyebrows at him encouraging agreement.

"Right", Trey says, although no one in the room really believes that, not even Ryan, but they let his answer stand.

Ryan takes advantage of the moment and goes to push himself up from the table. Even though he didn't eat much of the sandwich he says, "I think I'm done. The sandwich was great, Trey. Can you help me upstairs? I think I want to lay down for a little while".

"Uh, yeah. Sure", Trey says as he jumps up, eager to leave the room himself. He has a feeling he hasn't heard the last about his Thanksgiving transgression but he's happy to put it off as long as possible.

As Trey starts to lead him out of the room, with Ryan telling him which way to go, Ryan calls out, "You coming, Seth?"

Seth, happy at the invitation, jumps up and answers, "Yeah. Right behind ya, dude". His attempts at downplaying the Thanksgiving Day Incident obviously earned him some points.

They get Ryan settled on the bed and Trey sits on the floor, back leaning against the bed. "Thanks. You know, for saying that down there. I know it was a shitty thing for me to do".

Seth finds himself mimicking Trey and sits on the floor, leaning his back against a chair opposite the bed. "No problem. I mean, I agree that it was a shitty thing to do but it's done", Seth says back.

Ryan, laying on the bed with his arm over his eyes, says, "So, we all agree that it was a shitty thing to do but no harm was done."

"Well", Seth says, "I don't think the 'rents are going to see it that way". Truthfully, he didn't see it that way, either, but he'd leave it to the 'rents to handle. No sense in _all _of them risking alienating Ryan again.

Trey scratches his head and shifts uncomfortably before changing the subject a little bit. "Oh, hey, thanks for sending those comics with Ry. I appreciate it."

"No prob. Did you like 'em? I mean, I didn't know which kind you might like. I have some more classic ones if you don't like the photo realistic artwork. You can pick a few out if you want to take some more", Seth offers.

Ryan turns his head to the side and lowers his arm, giving Seth a smile of appreciation.

"Yeah, that'd be cool, dude. Anything to pass the time in there and it's earned me some points with my cellie. He likes 'em", Trey says before he turns his head to glance at Ryan. "Hey, LB, you doin' ok? How's your ribs?"

"They're sore but what else is new. You know how it is", Ryan answers.

Trey nods, then asks, "what about everything else? You ok with...today?".

Ryan gives a shrug of his shoulders. "I guess. Kinda half to be, right? It's just...he's dead. I feel like I should feel something but...I don't. Not really. Not about that anyway. I keep...", he trails off.

Trey turns a little and asks, "Keep what?...come on, talk to me bro. What was going through your head when I pulled you out of there today?" As if he couldn't already guess.

Ryan takes a breath and closes his eyes. "I...could...see him...feel him...his hand around my throat. The look in his eyes. He was going to kill me, Trey. He was going to fucking blow my brains out". The words were strained as he clenched his eyes shut.

Seth sat quietly, feeling like he was intruding. Wondering if he should leave them alone but not really wanting to. It's the first he'd heard Ryan talk about what happened to him.

Trey twisted around and rested an arm on the bed, leaning in closer to Ryan. "Hey", he said softly. "He didn't. You're ok. He can't hurt you anymore. He...shit, Ry. I don't know what to say to you. How to make it better. All I could think looking down at him was the way he used to play possum when we were kids and we'd try to sneak by because we thought he was asleep. Then he'd strike out like a snake and grab your arm. He...he was fucked up. Fucked in the head, man."

Ryan opens his eyes and looks at him. "Lying in wait", he says with a smirk.

Trey snorts softly and shakes his head. "See, I told you it was more fitting". He twists back around and resumes his previous position and eyes Seth. He's quiet for a while before he says, "We used to sit and watch reruns of, you know, Family Ties or some shit like that and it may as well been science fiction", he says as he lays his head back on the bed. "The last time I saw him I was ten years old. That was fucking weird seeing him in that box. He's really dead."

The room lapses into silence, leaving Seth to wonder again if he should exit stage left. He contemplates the situation for a second and decides that he will leave them alone but when he looks up he sees the even rise and fall of Ryan's chest. He's fallen asleep. Trey's head is still leaned back on the bed. His eyes focused on the ceiling. Seth whispers and catches his attention then nods his head toward Ryan. Trey turns to see that Ryan's asleep. Seth then tips his head toward the door, suggesting they leave him to rest. Trey nods and gets up and follows him out of the room and across the hall to his room.

"We can check out those comics if you want", Seth suggests.

"Sure", Trey says as he sits on Seth's bed. He spots Captain Oats and raises his eyebrows as he picks it up.

Seth flushes a little and then shrugs. "Captain Oats. I've had him since I was a kid".

Trey nods, "that's cool. I had this little duck. It was cheap. Mom bought it for me at the dollar store. It was made of, like, hay banded together real tight and then cut into the shape of a duck. I named it Myron." A smile forms on his face and he says, " and Ryan...", he laughs and then continues, "he used to have this shell. A polished shell that had spots all over it. He named it Ziggy."

Seth's eyes got wide, "he named a shell?"

"Yeah. Weird kid", he says with a laugh. "It was real smooth. He liked to rub his thumb on it. He'd even sleep with it and every once in a while, even in his sleep, you'd see his little thumb running across the smooth surface", he says fondly as he sets Captain Oats back on the night table. "He'd probably still have that thing if Dawn didn't bring home assholes that liked to throw our shit out to show us who was in charge." If Trey had been able to see in the dark, he'd have seen that Ryan also rubbed that shell when they were locked in the closet. It calmed him. Especially those times when he was locked in alone.

Seth smiled, trying to imagine Ryan when he was small. Suddenly, he asks if Trey has a picture of Ryan when he was little. Trey says he doesn't have one on him but he does back in his cell. He offers to send it to Seth if he'd make a copy and send it right back. Seth thanks him and jots down their address so Trey can send it. He's not so bad, Seth thinks. He seems to care for Ryan. He didn't make him feel like an idiot for still having a plastic horse sitting by his bed. Instead offering up stories to show some common ground. He pulled out some comics he thought Trey would like and they both sat on the floor and fell into an easy banter.

Meanwhile, downstairs in the kitchen, Kirsten had immediately stood and started clearing the table as soon as the boys left. Her lips were drawn in a line as she rinsed off the plates and loaded them into the dishwasher as she repeated in her mind that Trey was only here for one day.

Sandy could tell she didn't like Trey. Hell, he didn't know how he felt about the kid. And he was just that, really. Not much older than Ryan, but he'd gotten Ryan arrested and could have gotten him arrested again, let alone killed. The chips were stacking up against him but Sandy knew he had to be careful. Ryan cared for him and has already shown that if forced to choose, he might choose Trey. He blows out a sigh.

Caleb sips his coffee, quietly observing Sandy and Kirsten. He knew Trey's blunt way of speaking and unapologetic nature wasn't sitting well with them but Caleb admired it. He reminded Caleb of himself. Although, he doesn't suppose that would be a plus in Sandy and KiKi's minds. He shook his head and smiled.

"What are you smiling about, dad?", Kirsten suddenly asks in a clipped voice.

Caleb startles out of his thoughts and decides to bite the bullet. "I like Trey. He says what he thinks."

Sandy's eyebrows raise.

Kirsten says, "He doesn't think before he speaks." She pours herself a cup of coffee and takes a seat at the table again.

"And he doesn't think before he acts, obviously", Sandy adds. "I'm also having a bit of a hard time understanding how you can accept Trey so easily when you wrote Ryan off from the start. What gives, Cal?"

"I've admitted that I was wrong about Ryan. I didn't take the time to know him and only judged him by the little I knew about him. Which was that he stole a car and burned down one of my model homes. I've taken the time to talk with Trey. To get to know him a little bit. Something, I might add, neither one of you have done. He's not a bad kid. He's made some mistakes. "

"Mistakes that could have brought Ryan down with him", Sandy says. "We have to think about Ryan here and if Trey can't show us that he can make good decisions when it comes to Ryan, then we have to take steps to make sure he can't do Ryan any more harm."

"And what steps would that be, Sanford? Cutting him out of Ryan's life? I think that would be a mistake", Caleb says firmly.

"We don't want to do that, dad, but we may not have a choice. I don't think he understands how serious what happened at Thanksgiving is or the fact that he got Ryan arrested in the first place. You heard him joking about it", Kirsten says.

"I understand that, KiKi, and I understand your concern but I think you're wrong. I think you're overreacting. I've heard the two of you make inappropriate jokes a time or two. I don't think he meant to make light of it. It's just something that happened. Something he can't change. He doesn't sweep things under the rug. He throws it out there. I like that about him. "

"Cut from the same cloth", Sandy says with a smile. It finally dawning on him.

Caleb looks at him in confusion. "What are you talking about, Sanford?"

Sandy shakes his head and says, "You see in Trey what I saw in Ryan. That's why you're connecting with him. He reminds you of yourself."

Caleb clears his throat and says, "yes, well, maybe so. That's not an entirely bad thing is it?" He looks from Sandy to Kirsten.

Kirsten's eyebrows raise and she stammers, "uh, well, no. Of course not, dad, but..."

"No. No buts, KiKi. I know I have flaws and I know the boy has flaws but I want to help him. I've already told him if he handles this 24 hour pass well and can manage to keep his nose clean that I'd try to help him when he gets out."

"You what?", Kirsten asks taken aback. "Dad..."

Caleb holds up a hand to stop Kirsten, as well as Sandy's forming objections. "Look, wouldn't you rather he had a plan when he gets out? Wouldn't it be better to help him get on his feet so he's not looking to Ryan for help?" He eyes both of them pointedly. "I don't think he's a lost cause. If he can focus on his own life he'll have less time to cause trouble in Ryan's. I'm not asking your permission. I want to help the boy."

Kirsten opens her mouth and then closes it again. She casts a glance at Sandy, who has sat back in his chair at a loss for words. She can't deny the wisdom of her father's words but the thought of Trey being connected to her father, as well as Ryan, doesn't put her at ease. It's not that she thought he'd just disappear after he got out but she's just not comfortable with the idea that he'd be tied to them even more.

"What are you saying, Cal? Are you going to help him get a job or are we talking more than that? Are you going to bring him here. To Newport? I can't imagine Julie is going to be too happy about that. She left town to avoid Trey for this one day", Sandy says.

Caleb sighs. "I haven't gotten that far. There's time to work all that out. If he shows me he's willing to try I'll find some way to help get him set up. I don't understand why you're not more willing to help him. He's not much older than Ryan. It's not his fault he never had anyone to show him the way."

Sandy shakes his head at the irony. Here was Caleb defending Trey to them after the hard time he gave them about Ryan. "And you're going to be the one who does?", he says bemusedly.

Caleb narrows his eyes. "I'm going to try."

Kirsten listens to the exchange and hears the determination in her dad's voice. There's no sense in arguing when he's made his mind up. Besides, her dad is no pushover. Maybe he'll be able to keep Trey in check. She sighs. Why is she getting so worked up about this now. Trey getting out is a little ways down the road. She'll worry about it then. She pushes herself up from the table. "I'm going to go check on Ryan", she says.

Just as she gets up they hear Ryan's voice calling out in terror. Instantly recognizing that he's having another nightmare, they all rush upstairs. As they enter his room they find Seth and Trey already at his side, trying to wake him. He's thrashing around on the bed and his eyes fly open as Trey lays a hand on his shoulder. He looks around frantically, not fully aware of his surroundings. He pulls away and scrambles off the bed and into the corner of the room, breathing hard. He slides down to the floor, his arm wrapped around his midsection.

Trey follows and kneels in front of him. "Hey...Ry, look at me. It's ok. It's just a dream."

Ryan blinks trying to clear his head. "Trey? Wh...where is he?", he asks as he frantically searches the room. Not really seeing the room they were in. "Where is he?", he asks again as he clutches Trey's shirt.

Trey swallows, his gut clenching at the fear in Ryan's eyes. "He...he's gone, Ry. He's not here. You're ok", he tries to assure. "Come on. Let's get you up and we'll...", he starts to say as he goes to pull Ryan up.

"NO!", Ryan yells. "Joe...Joe's there. I...no, I don't want to. Joe's there", he says shakily.

Trey frowns and looks to the Cohens. "Joe?", he queries.

"Joe was the guy Frank had helping him. He killed him and left the body in the basement with Ryan", Sandy explained.

"Jesus", Trey whispers as he turns back to Ryan. "LB?...listen to me, bro. You're not in the basement anymore. Joe's not here. Just me...and the Cohens", he says as he reaches up, grabs Seth's arm, and pulls him down beside him. "See? Seth is here. Ry? You hear me?"

Ryan scrunches his eyes closed in confusion. Everything is all mixed up in his head. Being locked in the dark with Trey when they were kids. Being locked in the basement with Joe. Everything was jumbled together.

"Yeah, dude. I'm right here", Seth says, nervously looking at Trey. Trey nods at him to keep trying. "Ryan? Hey man, open your eyes".

Ryan slowly does as he's told. He looks from Trey to Seth. "Seth?", he asks as tries to focus. He looks back to Trey and then rubs a hand down his face. "You weren't there", he says as he lets out a breath. Everything starting to make sense now.

Trey flinches a little at those words. He wasn't there. It echoes in his head as he pulls back and lets Seth take over.

"Hey, dude. You ok now?", Seth asks.

Ryan takes a shaky breath and nods. "Yeah. Sorry. I, uh...", he shakes his head trying to clear away the last of the cobwebs. He looks up to see five sets of worried eyes on him. "I'm ok now". He indicates that he wants to stand and Seth helps him up. Without a word he moves toward the bathroom.

Sandy steps forward, "Ryan? Are you..."

Ryan turns and looks at him, His eyes pass over the rest of them and then settles back on Sandy. "I'm ok, Sandy. I just need a second. Ok?", he says as he goes into the bathroom and shuts the door. He goes to the sink and turns on the water, splashing his face. He takes a breath and closes his eyes. He dries his face and closes the lid on the toilet and sits down, trying to compose himself. Trying to chase away the fleeting images still invading his head.

Outside, the others are left staring at the closed door.

"Maybe we should...", Caleb starts to say but is interrupted by Trey abruptly leaving the room. He starts to follow.

"Wait, dad. let me go", Kirsten suggests.

"KiKi...", Caleb says warningly but she's already gone.

Kirsten goes down the stairs and doesn't see Trey in any of the rooms she passes so she enters the kitchen and sees him standing on the patio, lighting up a cigarette. She steps out and moves beside him.

He gives her a side glance that reminds her of Ryan.

"I know you don't like smoking but I ain't your kid. You're Ryan's new mom, not mine. I'll smoke if I want to", he states as he takes a deep drag to drive it home.

"Fair enough", Kirsten calmly replies as she casts her gaze toward the horizon. Suddenly wondering how Trey feels at the thought of Ryan gaining a new family. A new mom. New dad. New brother. Where must he feel that leaves him. She turns to study him.

He feels her eyes on him and takes a breath. "I wasn't there", he says.

She frowns, recalling Ryan's words up in the room. "I don't think he meant that as an accusation."

Trey nods. "I know, but it doesn't change the facts", he says as he shakes his head and looks down. "When we were kids it was him and me against the world. Him and me against dad. Against all of them. I just...it feels like I shoulda been there."

He takes another drag off of his cigarette and Kirsten notices his hand shaking. She really looks at him now and sees that her dad is right. He really isn't much more than a kid himself and she's struck by how alone he looks standing there.

Trey's voice pulls her from her thoughts. "Just...thinking about him stuck in that room with a dead guy. Thinking about my dad trying to...", his voice catches. He sucks in a breath and straightens. "I know it's selfish...I know he's better off with you guys but...he's my brother. I need him. He's all I got left. I'm not letting him go." His eyes are once again cast out to the ocean.

Kirsten slowly returns her gaze to the horizon. "Well, I guess we have that in common. I'm not letting him go, either."

--

**A/N: Maybe not the best place to leave it but it was getting a bit long. I'll save the rest for the next chapter. Which means that I already have it about half done. Woo Hoo! **


	30. Chapter 30

**A/N: I may or may not be fudging on the age difference between Ryan and Trey. I'm making them three years apart, just because. lol. As far as canon, I remember that Sandy said that Trey was "over eighteen" in the pilot episode. I know Trey turned 21 mid to late season two and he was still in a coma when season three started and the kids were in their senior year. Ryan had his eighteenth birthday later that year/season, but I don't know if Trey would have also turned 22 right around that time, which would make them about 4 years apart but I just don't know the time lines within the seasons and which months the birthdays fell so, you know, whatever. lol. And, as you may have gathered, unfortunately, I'm just too lazy to research the info and try to find out exactly. Research is my El Guapo. At any rate, a four year difference just isn't really feeling right to me with my little back-stories and three years older seems a good age to give him a wee bit more leeway with Caleb, Kirsten and Sandy as far as his bad judgment, etc.. So, at this point in my fic (hell, I think that's about the same difference I have them in my other fic, too. lol), he's nineteen years old. I know it doesn't seem like a big difference and may not make any sense to anyone else but in my head 4 years older just feels like too big of a gap and makes him seem too much older than Ryan for me to feel comfortable with the way I'm writing some of the reactions/perceptions the others have to/of Trey for some reason. lol. I don't think I've specified Ryan's exact age before now. At least I hope I didn't. Sorry, but I just don't have time to reread the whole thing to find out. If I was smart I'd keep those little details jotted down somewhere, along with names of original characters and such but I never claimed to be smart. lol. If anyone remembers that I did state an age in here somewhere before now, let me know and I'll correct things. **

--

Chapter Thirty

Trey finishes his cigarette and goes back into the house, leaving Kirsten standing on the patio. He climbs the stairs and enters Ryan's bedroom to find him sitting on the bed, with Sandy next to him. Sandy's talking quietly to him as Ryan simply nods. Noticing Trey he looks up gives an embarrassed smile.

"Sorry about that, man", he says quietly.

Trey steps further into the room and sees Seth sitting in the chair. They trade nods in acknowledgment of each other and he turns back to Ryan and says, "hey, it's not like that's the first nightmare I've tried to talk you down from."

They share a look before Ryan gives a small smile and a nod.

"Hey, uh", Trey says looking at Sandy. "Do you think we could take a walk down to the beach?...I mean, if Ryan's up to it?", he asks looking from Sandy to Ryan.

Sandy frowns, "I don't know, Trey". He looks at Ryan and says, " You've had a rough morning. You should take it easy."

Ryan turns to him and says, "I'm ok. Really. I...I think I could use some fresh air...and Trey has to go back soon. I want him to see the ocean up close before he goes back."

Trey shakes his head, "Yeah, how sad is that. I live in California and I've never been to the fucking ocean." He sees that Sandy is against the idea and says, "look, we'll take it slow and if he's getting too tired we won't go all the way to the beach and...Seth here can help me get him back if it turns out to be too much. Right, dude?"

Seth raises his eyebrows but smiles at the inclusion. He nods eagerly and says, "Sure. We can handle it, dad."

Sandy frowns, feeling unease building in his stomach at how Seth is responding to Trey since they've been home. He romanticized Ryan as it was and treated his arrest and Chino street cred as some kind of badge of honor. He didn't want him to start looking up to Trey and looking to him for acceptance. Sudden flashes of Three Musketeer analogies flowing from Seth's mouth enter his mind and he shakes them off. "I don't..."

"It's just down to the beach, Sandy", Ryan says. He could see the conflict on Sandy's face but also sensed the increased unease at Seth's inclusion. It reminds him again of the way Kirsten first reacted to him. Trying to be accommodating but clearly uneasy at the stranger invading her home.

Sandy turns to Ryan and sees the disappointment at his reluctance.

Trey offers up another argument for letting Ryan go. "Look, man, I'm not going to run off with them. I just want to see the ocean. And besides, the walk will do Ryan good. He always sleeps more calmly when he's really dog tired. I'm not going to push him too hard. We'll walk down, sit on the beach for a few and when he's ready to head back me and Seth will get him back."

Sandy trails his eyes over three sets of hopeful ones and sighs. "All right, but you listen to your body. If you need to stop. Stop", he says to Ryan and then says, "and both of you watch him closely...and I don't want you gone long." He gets up and starts to leave but stops at the door. "Don't count your chickens just yet. I still have to run this by Kirsten", he says as he leaves the room.

Trey flinches at that and Seth tries to reassure, "Hey, man, dad can be pretty persuasive. It'll be cool."

Trey nods and studies Ryan. "You sure you're up to this? We don't have to go if you're not. I just thought you could stand getting out in some wide open space after that nightmare and we could kill two birds with one stone but we could just sit by the pool if the beach is too far."

Ryan took a breath. His ribs and his head shouldn't hurt him too much since it still hadn't been that long since he'd taken the pain pill but that was a pretty long walk. If he asked to bring some meds along then Kirsten might change her mind if Sandy does get her to agree in the first place, and despite Trey's words he could tell that he really wanted to go. "Nah, I'm good to go", he says with a smile.

Seth narrows his eyes and catches Ryan's. They have a silent communication consisting of Seth's raised eyebrows and Ryan's glare and Seth decides to just go with it. Like Trey said, they'd cut it short if need be. It's only down to the beach and it could give him an opportunity to do more brain picking away from the 'rents. Trey and Ryan both might be more forthcoming if it's just the three of them.

After a few moments Sandy returns with Kirsten's ok. It had taken some cajoling and reassuring from both him and Caleb that Ryan would be fine. Sandy also used Trey's argument that the physical exertion might help Ryan to sleep better once he returned.

Kirsten gives Seth a bottle of water to carry for Ryan and thrusts a blanket into Trey's hand for him to sit on once they reach the beach. She pointedly tells Trey to make sure to stop and let Ryan rest if he needs it and echoes Sandy's condition that they not stay long.

Caleb pulls Trey aside and firmly reminds him that he's been released to his custody and gives him his own pointed look conveying that it would not be wise to cross him. Trey sighs and nods with a frown, accepting Caleb's cautionary action at face value, trying not to take insult at it. He figures Caleb would be a fool not to be wary. He's got an ankle monitor on for a reason. It would look pretty bad for him if his charge took off but that thought honestly hadn't crossed his mind. He just wants to take advantage of this time out of the cage. He steps back up to Ryan and Seth and they finally head off.

They take it slow with Seth pointing various things out to Trey as they make their way down the path, keeping the pace slow without it seeming like Ryan is holding them up. Each keeping a close eye on him but he seemed to be doing fine. Going back up the hill will probably be another story but so far so good. Once at the beach, they settle Ryan onto the blanket.

Seth immediately eyes a shell in the sand. He smiles inwardly as he picks it up and studies it with a furrowed brow as Ryan frowns momentarily at the actions. He shrugs and grabs the bottle of water and takes a drink. He's long since learned not to try to figure out what's going on in Seth's head at any given moment.

Seth continues to look the shell over and puts a finger to his mouth and starts tapping his lips. "Hmm, what do you think, Ryan?", he asks as he holds the shell out to Ryan.

Trey is shaking his head in amusement as he sits down and immediately kicks off his shoes and takes off his socks and starts squishing his toes in the sand.

"What do I think about what, Seth?", Ryan asks, puzzled, as he takes the shell.

"What does he look like to you? An Ivan, perhaps? Or do you think it's a she?", Seth asks.

Ryan turns his head to look at Trey with narrowed eyes. "You told him about Ziggy", he states flatly.

"Hey, dude, I told him about Myron, too", Trey laughs as grabs a handful of sand and pours it from one hand to the other, letting it sift through his fingers.

"Poor duck. Met a horrible fate", Ryan states with a smirk.

At Seth's curious look Trey expounds, "death by fire. I found one of mom's lighters and went in the back yard and set him on fire. Damn thing lit up like you wouldn't believe. Scared the shit out of me."

Ryan shakes his head and says, "You set the lawn on fire."

Trey laughed and nodded. "Yeah. Our lawn was half dead and some of the brown grass burst into flames and started inching toward me. Ryan ran over and grabbed the hose and put it out. Man, good thing mom was passed out. She would have kicked my ass." He left out what their dad would have done if he'd been there, not wanting to blatantly send Ryan's thoughts in that particular direction. As it happened, that was one of the rare stretches that their dad actually had a job and so he wasn't home that day.

Seth frowned at the story, glad that his parents weren't around to hear that one. "How old were you?", he asks. Trey looks at Ryan a minute as he tries to recall their ages. He finally says that he must've been about ten and Ryan nods in agreement. Seth looked at them both blankly, not quite knowing how he should respond to the tale. He couldn't imagine his mom and dad ever not paying attention to him long enough to get into such a situation. Of course, his parents didn't smoke and leave lighters laying around. Nor did they drink or do drugs until they passed out. Ryan and Trey really were pretty much on their own, left to their own devices to find ways to care for themselves or pass the time. He shuddered at the thought of what could have happened if Ryan hadn't gotten to the hose in time. They both could have been badly burned.

Ryan and Trey both sense that maybe that wasn't the best story to share with someone like Seth and they all fall into an awkward silence.

Seth tries to return the conversation to a lighter topic. "So, where did you get Ziggy anyway?", he asks.

Ryan fingers the shell in his hand. "Trey gave it to me", is all he says with an uneasy smile. After the fire story he wasn't sure he should tell the details. He didn't want Seth to only see the "criminal" side of Trey.

Trey, however, has no qualms about it. "It was another dollar store treasure...and, uh, I kinda stole it. Mom never had money for that kind of shit any more. Not even cheap ass dollar store crap. That time, we were there so she could buy cheap kitchen stuff or something and I saw Ryan eyeing that shell. I knew she wouldn't buy it for him so I pocketed it for him", Trey says with a huff of laughter. "He must've been about five. He got so nervous when he saw me slip it into my pocket, I swear I thought he was going to puke right there in the store."

Ryan gives a small smile. "On the way home a cop car's siren started going off and closing in on us. I thought sure they were coming after Trey", he says with a little shake of his head. "They went right on by us and then Trey handed it to me and whispered that we'd have to lie and tell mom and dad that I found it if they saw it." At the time, he was relieved that the cops hadn't been after them but his little stomach had been in knots since the store and he wasn't too fond of the idea of lying to their parents. Lying was bad. His teacher told his class so, and his mom and dad always got real mad when they thought he or Trey was lying. At first he was very careful to keep it hidden for fear of one of them seeing. He was afraid to lie. They always knew when Trey was lying and he had lots of practice. The thought of their dad seeing the shell scared him especially so and yet one day he forgot he had it in his hand and his dad looked right at him. His little heart was beating so fast but nothing came of it. Neither Frank nor Dawn ever made any mention of the shell that was suddenly always in his hand. They barely paid any attention to Ryan at all if he stayed real quiet. From then on he carried it with him always. He loved the feel of it in his hand. The surface was so smooth, and it was the first present Trey had ever given him, even if it was stolen.

"So, there ya have it. A glimpse at the humble beginnings of my life of crime", Trey says with a lopsided smile as he looks at Seth.

Seth smiles back nervously. He'd wanted to know what it was like to have a brother but this wasn't exactly what he'd pictured. Half of the time he didn't need to ask and his parents would buy him some little trinket they knew he'd like. He didn't know what it was like to not have money so he didn't want to judge. In its own way it was kind of cool the way they had each others backs. Even at seven Ryan was apparently quick to react and ready to save the day and it appears that at the tender age of eight Trey was already making Ryan an accessory to crimes. Ok, so it was a shell and it was really kinda sweet that he took it for his brother. Plus, it was only from the dollar store, but Trey's stealthiness at the deed showed he knew it was wrong but didn't care...Movement breaks him from his thoughts.

Trey gets up and walks to the shoreline, letting the water lap up onto his feet. He looks out across the water and takes a deep breath, trying not to think of having to return to jail in the morning. His thoughts drift to Caleb's offer, and he wonders if he'll be able to hold out and stay out of trouble for the remainder of his sentence. He thought coming to the beach would be nice but instead of soothing him the wide open space and the sound of the water only succeeds in causing his stomach to tighten. The idea of going back to that small cell is suddenly more oppressive. He turns and walks back to where Ryan and Seth are.

Ryan immediately senses the change in Trey. "You ok?", he asks worriedly.

Trey gives a tight smile and says, "Yeah...you ready to head back?"

Ryan studies him a second, trying to read the shift and sudden want to get back. "Sure."

Seth jumps up and they both give Ryan a hand up. Both noticing as Ryan slips the new shell into his pocket. They gather the blanket and make the trek back up the path. It takes much longer getting back up than it did coming down. Ryan's ribs still protest at deep breaths so he needs to stop a couple of times along the way and then he makes them stop one final time just before they reach the top. He doesn't want the Cohen's to blame Trey if he comes back looking the worse for wear, so he takes a moment to try to freshen his appearance, wiping the sweat from his brow and giving himself time to let some normal color return to his face. He doesn't need a mirror to know he's flushed from the exertion. He can feel the heat in his skin. Seth gives him the water again and he finishes it off.

Kirsten is perched at the kitchen table, facing out toward the patio not so patiently waiting for their return. "We shouldn't have let him go, Sandy. He's not well enough to go hiking up and down that trail to the beach. He was worn out from the funeral as it was."

"He slept the whole way back, Kirsten, and he got a little bit of sleep before the nightmare woke him. Honestly, honey, I think the walk and fresh air would do him good and Trey could be right about him being able to sleep more soundly after", Sandy tries to reason, as much with himself as with Kirsten.

"KiKi, I'm sure he's fine. Even if you don't trust Trey with him, surely you know that Seth will make sure he's all right", Caleb says as he wanders back in from outside. He'd been meandering the patio and sneaking peeks down toward the beach under the ruse of going out to enjoy a couple of puffs from a cigar.

Kirsten purses her lips and says, "Seth isn't a match for Trey. You see how Ryan acquiesces to him so easily and Seth will probably follow their lead rather than being the odd man out."

Just then the three in question come around the corner. Kirsten rises and goes to meet them, carefully studying Ryan's movements.

"You see, he's fine", Caleb says even as he himself eyes him up and down closely. He looks tired but all right nonetheless.

Sandy lets out a sigh of relief and also steps onto the patio to greet them. "Hey", he says cheerily. "Did you have a good time?"

Trey shrugs. "Yeah, it was nice. We didn't stay long. The walk back up took most of the time", he says as they all walk into the kitchen. "It took a lot out of him so we should probably get him back to bed."

Ryan frowns, "_He _is right here, ya know."

Trey looks at him and says, "ok, fine. Do you want to lay down or what?"

Ryan smiles sheepishly. "Yeah, I could lay down for a while."

Trey rolls his eyes.

"But, uh, can I take the couch?", Ryan asks as he turns to Kirsten.

Seeing the exhaustion in his face, she agrees. "Sure, honey. Do you need a pain pill? It's not quite time for your next one but after all of that walking I think it would be ok if we gave you one a little early."

He thinks it over a second before saying, "No, I don't think so. I think it'll be fine once I lay down. Besides, I'd have to eat something and I don't know that I could right now."

She smiles at his honesty and leads him into the other room, helping him settle on the couch.

Trey watches as she covers him with a blanket and gently brushes the hair off his forehead. Ryan smiles and his eyes close and Kirsten watches him for a moment. Before long his breathing levels out and he's asleep. She turns to leave the room, catching Trey's eye. He holds the gaze briefly, something flickering in his eyes before he quickly looks away.

Caleb suggests that they all move out onto the patio so they don't disturb Ryan. Kirsten then suggests that maybe Trey, too, would like to lay down and offers up the pool house.

"What, not good enough for the house?", Trey responds half seriously.

Kirsten is briefly flustered at the comment, flashing back to Frank's reaction to Ryan sleeping in the pool house that first night he showed up.

Sandy is also taken back to that moment and truly wonders if Ryan felt that way sleeping out there all of that time. He'd really thought at the time that Ryan preferred having his own space. It never crossed his mind that Ryan might feel that they were deliberately still keeping him at arm's length even after his stay with them became permanent.

Caleb steps in. "No offense was intended, Trey. I'm sure you're more than welcome to take Ryan's bed since he's taken the couch but you have easy access to the pool house right there", he says with with a gesture to the structure.

Unfortunately, Seth decides to chime in, "Yeah, dude. I love the pool house. I was totally jealous of Ryan when he moved in there. Mom and dad wouldn't let me stay out there."

Trey's eyes narrow. "and yet you stuck Ryan there", he states accusingly.

Seth tries to swallow the foot he just put in his mouth.

"He's in the house now", Sandy replies quickly.

"And his staying in the pool house was my decision that first weekend he was here, when his stay was only going to be temporary. When it did become permanent, we just felt that he was already settled there. We see our mistake now and wish we'd moved him in sooner but it wasn't because we didn't trust him", Kirsten says honestly.

Trey studies her face and then Sandy's and nods and lets it go. Not quite sure how he feels about it all. At first he took it as a slight against his brother and yet, knowing that he's now in the house and seeing how much they do care for Ryan doesn't really sit well with him either. "Yeah, well, I'm not really tired so I think I'll pass. I'll have plenty of time to sleep when I'm back inside...but, uh, thanks for the offer", he says politely but with an edge to his tone.

The rest of the day passes relatively uneventfully. Conversation is occasionally tense and awkward despite everyone trying to carefully avoid any more potential landmines. Ryan sleeps peacefully for a few hours and when he awakens they order in an early dinner. Afterwards, Ryan, Trey and Seth retreat to the pool house where, much to Kirsten's dismay, Seth challenges Trey to a game of Grand Theft Auto. Ryan doesn't miss the disapproving frown on her face but Seth and Trey are oblivious and are rapidly engrossed in the game as Ryan lays on the bed watching. Before he knows it he's asleep again and when he awakens he's alone in the pool house, having been situated properly in the bed, all tucked in. Huh. When did that happen? He looks outside to find it pitch black and glances at the clock. It's eleven o'clock at night. He's surprised at how long he's slept and feels a little guilty at sleeping away the time he could have spent with Trey but he must've been dead to the world to sleep through everything. He hopes that they all got along all right while he was asleep. He gets up to make his way to the house when he hears movement across the way. He sees Trey quietly exiting Caleb's house and frowns. He's got a bottle in his hand and is heading toward the trail that leads to the beach. Ryan hurries over and quietly calls his name. "Trey", he says, startling him.

"Shit, dude. Give me a heart attack why don't ya?", Trey says as he walks toward Ryan.

"What are you doing, man?", Ryan asks as he eyes the bottle in Trey's hand.

Trey rolls his eyes. "I only have a few hours until I go back and just wanted to give the beach another go and have a little private party. Don't make a federal case of it."

Ryan sighs. "I don't think that's such a good idea, Trey", he says as he grabs the bottle from Trey's hand.

"Don't be such a little bitch, Ryan. I just want to fully enjoy this short little reprieve from lockup. It's not a big deal..."

"I wouldn't be so sure about that", Caleb's voice rings out as he steps out from the shadows.

Ryan sucks in a breath and tries to hide the bottle behind his back.

"Don't bother, Ryan. I saw Trey take it. Why don't you go on inside. I'd like to talk to your brother for a moment", he says calmly. At Ryan's hesitation he steps up to him places a hand on his shoulder as his face softens. "It's ok, Ryan. I just think Trey and I need to get a couple of things straight."

Ryan slowly nods and then throws a glance to Trey before heading inside and taking a seat at the table so he can watch the interaction.

As soon as he's gone Trey asks, "If you saw me take it why didn't you say anything in there?"

"I wanted to see what you were going to do", Caleb responds. "Look, Trey, I was serious about wanting to help you but you need to start thinking before you act. Did it cross your mind that they might test you upon your return to see if you've done any drugs or had any alcohol while you were out to see how well you handled the privilege?"

Trey sighs and sits down on a patio chair.

"I also think that your brother didn't deserve you speaking to him that way. He was trying to look out for you", Caleb states pointedly.

Trey looks up at him and then looks into the kitchen and meets Ryan's worried eyes. He blows out a breath and looks down. "I know...I know he is, and you're right. I just...I couldn't sleep thinking about going back and I just..."

"Drinking yourself into a stupor won't help. All that would get you is a hangover and Sandy and Kirsten being even more reluctant to have you around Ryan. Not to mention any possible consequences upon your return to jail if they should realize you'd been drinking", Caleb lays out.

Trey shakes his head, "I...I didn't think..."

"No. You didn't. That's my point. You need to start using your head, Trey, and stop saying and doing whatever pops into your head. What do you want for yourself? For your life? Where do you see yourself in five years?", Caleb asks as he sits in a chair across from him.

Trey laughs mirthlessly and sits back but says nothing. He thinks to himself that if he's not in jail again then he'll probably be six feet under. On a good day he doesn't think any further ahead than what he's going to do the next day.

"Ryan wanted to be an architect growing up. Isn't there something you wanted to be or do?", Caleb asks.

Trey's head shoots up at that. "Ry wanted to be an architect?", he asks.

Caleb raises an eyebrow in surprise. "You didn't know?"

Trey looks down again and shakes his head. "No. I guess we didn't really talk about things like that. I kinda made fun of him and how smart he was when we were growing up. He probably thought I would have laughed at him and he would have been right. I would have made fun of him. Not because I didn't think he could do it but just that he was stupid for thinking that could ever happen. People from our neighborhood don't make good like that." He looks back into the kitchen and gives a sad smile that has Ryan frowning in confusion. He turns back to Caleb. "An architect, huh?" He nods to himself and sighs. How was he supposed to compete with that?

"So, what about you, Trey? What do you want to do when you get out?", Caleb asks again.

After a beat Trey finally shrugs and says, "I don't know. I never really gave it much thought. Something with cars, I guess. Like rebuilding and restoring them or something like that." He looks up at Caleb with a challenging look.

Caleb meets his look and says with a smirk, "So, it wasn't all about the money?"

Trey snorts. "Well, that was a pretty good motivator but to be honest it was a rush. Stealing 'em got the adrenaline going but I liked the driving fast part, too. So, unless you want to bankroll me as a race car driver, I'll settle for working on engines and shit."

Caleb takes note of the use of the past tense in reference to his auto theft and files it away in the plus column. "So you get a job at a garage, save some money and build yourself a car you can race if that's really something you'd be interested in. Just like anything else it just takes a little motivation and some work to achieve it. There are all kinds of racing venues that would allow you to do it legally."

"Right, cuz a garage is going to hire a car thief", Trey says flatly.

"I can pull some strings but I won't do that unless I feel you are truly making an effort. I don't take kindly to being made a fool of", Caleb states.

Trey leans back and studies him for a moment before casting his gaze toward the stars. "You want to tell me again why it is that you want to help me? I don't imagine your daughter is too happy with the idea."

"This is between you and me and if I'm right about you KiKi and Sanford will come around. As for the why...it's just as much for Ryan as it is for you. He's sixteen years old. He shouldn't feel responsible for keeping his nineteen year old brother on the straight and narrow. You need to make a life for yourself..."

"and as far away from Ryan as possible, right?", he says tightly.

"That's not the result I'm striving for but if that's the only way to keep you each focused on doing what's right for yourselves and not being pulled into or driven by what the other has going on then so be it", Caleb says bluntly. "I haven't always treated your brother well. In fact, I insulted him every chance I got until this whole mess with your father started and I was forced to really see him. He's a good kid. I think he's had a hard enough time in his life so far. He deserves to put himself first for once. He can't do that if he's worried about you."

Trey falls silent as he contemplates Caleb's words. His eyes drift once more to the kitchen, where Ryan is worriedly chewing his lip.

Caleb follows his line of sight and says, "What do you say we go put your brother out of his misery?"

Trey smiles and nods and they go inside and assure Ryan all is well. He studies them both and accepts it as the truth. They're all wide awake now and Ryan suggests they watch a movie, letting Trey pick one out. He chooses "The Three Amigos" and invites the "old man" to join them, which, to their surprise, he does.

Ryan takes in the scene and shakes his head. This was definitely not the way he thought this day would end. Weird.

--

**A/N: heh, I had The Three Amigos on my mind from my earlier author's note and decided to toss the movie itself in here at the end. **


	31. Chapter 31

**A/N: Finally! An update. It's kinda short and maybe a little rushed but I'm having a hard time getting back into the right mindset of this and "Deception" again after such a long writing absence, but I needed to bite the bullet and tie up the Trey part for now. **

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Chapter Thirty One

Having awakened and come downstairs for a drink of water, a bleary eyed Seth blinks at what he's seeing. Trey, Caleb and Ryan are all on the couch. Laughing. Had he ever heard his grandpa laugh? He looks at the tv screen and sees what they're watching. "Oh, this is one of the best parts!", he exclaims as he plops down next to Trey who is seated on the floor leaning against the front of the couch, which Ryan and Caleb are sitting on. They all look over at Seth briefly and then turn their attention to the screen to watch the desert scene play out. Ryan, Trey and Seth all look at each other and say, "lip balm?" in unison with Chevy Chase.

Caleb chuckles and shakes his head. "What, is this movie required viewing or something?"

"It's a classic, grandpa. Classic", Seth replies as he moves the coffee table out of the way so he and Trey can have some sprawling room.

Caleb inwardly scoffs at these kids' idea of a "classic" but he has to admit, he's enjoying the silly movie. He settles in to watch the rest of the it, with the boys all occasionally saying dialogue along with the characters.

Sandy and Kirsten discover empty rooms when they get up the next morning. They head downstairs in search of their boys and freeze in the entryway, taking in the scene before them. Trey and Seth are asleep on the floor, in front of the tv. Caleb and Ryan are asleep on the sofa. Caleb's head is sagging to his chest. Ryan's head is resting on his shoulder. Sandy rubs his eyes to make sure he's not hallucinating. Kirsten grimaces at the position of her father's head, knowing his neck is going to protest as soon as he wakes up. She steps further into the room and approaches the couch. Seth stirs and gives a groan as he stretches and raises his head, opening two squinty eyes to his mom. He shifts attention to Ryan and Caleb and grins.

"Don't wake them up, yet! Don't wake them up! ", Seth whispers sternly as he pushes himself up and runs upstairs.

A smile forms on Kirsten's face as she looks at Ryan and her father. How things change.

Seth reappears and steps into the room, raises his cell phone and snaps a picture.

The flash causes Caleb's head to jerk up, which causes Ryan to stir. Caleb blinks a couple of times to clear the sleep from his mind. His eyes land on Seth and his mouth settles into a frown. He feels the weight on his shoulder and turns his head to see Ryan still struggling to stay asleep. His frown reforms into a smile. He reaches over and gently taps Ryan's cheek. Ryan groans and mumbles and nestles in closer, much to Seth's amusement. He mumbles something about thanking Jesus and Moses for camera phones. Caleb scowls at him and whispers, "enough, Seth."

Trey is the next to awaken and one eye opens, landing on Sandy standing in the entryway. He sits up and stretches. "Morning", he mumbles. He looks over and smirks at Ryan cuddled up to Caleb. Glancing at Seth he says, "tell me you got a picture of that".

"Hell, yeah", Seth whispers with a laugh.

Kirsten ushers them all out of the room then kneels down in front of the couch, reaching out a hand to touch Ryan's arm.

Ryan flinches and mumbles, "no....don't".

Kirsten gently runs her hand up and down his arm. "Ryan, honey, wake up". He scrunches his eyes and then opens them. A blurry Kirsten slowly comes into focus. He registers his head leaning against something soft and warm and turns his head. His eyes open wide when he realizes it's a shoulder belonging to Caleb and sits up abruptly. He sucks in a breath at the movement.

"You ok, sweetie?", Kirsten asks, worry mixed with amusement at the embarrassed flush in his cheeks.

He clears his throat and nods, then throws a side glance at Caleb and says, "uh, sorry. I didn't mean to..."

"It's all right, Ryan", Caleb says bemused. "What do you say we get some breakfast?", he suggests, saving the boy any more embarrassment.

He and Kirsten help Ryan stand and they join everyone else in the kitchen, where Seth is starting the coffee and Sandy has pulled out the bagels.

"You call this a breakfast, Sanford?", Caleb is heard saying as he turns to open the refrigerator and starts pulling out eggs and bacon, feeling a need to give Trey a proper breakfast before having to return to prison.

Sandy raises an eyebrow, "You're going to cook breakfast?"

"Yeah, grandpa. I don't know if that's such a good idea. Mom had to inherit her bad cooking traits from someone", Seth says with a suspicious eye aimed at him.

"And you just assume she inherited it from me?", Caleb asks. "Why not your grandmother?"

"All grandmas can cook", Seth states simply. "It's like a law of nature or something."

"Your mother may be a grandmother some day", Caleb says as he puts the bacon into a pan on the stove top.

Ryan and Trey are seated at the kitchen table, sharing a look at the banter. The Cohens and the Atwoods are worlds apart.

***********************************

Breakfast cooked, they all dig in and make conversation.

"So", Seth starts between bites. "Did you know that Ryan had a pet shell when he was a wee lad?"

Ryan shoots Seth a glare as Trey snorts.

Sandy, Kirsten and Caleb all stop mid-bite.

Seth nods, "Yes. It's true. Would you care to share your pet shell's name, Ryan, or shall I?"

"Shut up, Seth", Ryan says as he ducks his head and focuses on the plate in front of him.

"Ziggy", Seth says with a mouth full of egg. "His name was Ziggy."

Ryan narrows his eyes and wordlessly sends a warning by menacingly pointing his fork in Seth's direction.

Trey smiles and offers up more. "He went through this phase where he named everything. Even his shoes. One was Ed and the other was.......", he trails off trying to remember the name.

Ryan sighs and says resignedly, "Walter". He shakes his head with an embarrassed smile.

Seth spits out his juice, spraying Caleb across the table. Sandy and Kirsten desperately try to stifle laughs.

Caleb clears his throat as he wipes himself off with a napkin in as dignified a manner as he can. "I seem to recall you having a few eccentricities yourself, Seth", he says, tossing a wink at Ryan. "For instance, there was something about your socks that would send you into fits."

"Whoa, Grandpa, there's no need to.......", Seth instantly sobers and tries to stop where this is going.

Sandy takes up the story, "That's right. You wouldn't wear socks unless they were turned inside out because of how the seam felt on your toes. I recall you giving your mother quite a hard time every time she tried to get you dressed, kicking your feet yelling out that 'it feels funny' until she finally started turning them inside out."

Kirsten laughs gently, "It was so cute".

Seth groans and lays his head on the table.

Sandy frowns, "I don't even remember when your sock fixation stopped. It did stop, didn't it?"

Seth sits up again and hides behind his cup of coffee mumbling, "well, it does feel funny".

********************************************

They manage to keep it light for the remainder of breakfast. Once finished, Ryan excuses himself so he can shower and change so he can ride with Trey when Caleb returns him to Chino. He takes longer than he anticipated, letting the hot water soothe his aching muscles from that long walk yesterday. Dozing off sitting up on the couch didn't help. He tries not to think of the fact that he used Caleb Nichol as a pillow.

Once finished he steps out of his room and meets Seth exiting his bedroom, looking similarly refreshed. They head downstairs and find Caleb sitting out on the patio with Trey, who stepped out to smoke a cigarette.

Caleb silently observes Trey. His thoughts seem a mile away and he can sense a growing tenseness about him. Not surprising, really, considering he's about to go back to jail.

"Hey", Ryan says, breaking the silence.

Trey takes a deep drag off of his cigarette and blows it out as he turns to face Ryan. "Uh, look Ry. I think you should stay here."

"What? Why? I....", Ryan starts.

Trey holds up a hand and says, "Look, I just....I'd rather you stay here, ok? I don't want you to have to see me go back in that place." Though that's not the whole truth. It's him who doesn't want to see Ryan leaving him behind.

Ryan's shaking his head. "I don't care about that, Trey. I want to...."

"I don't care what you want", Trey snaps. He takes a breath. "I don't want you there. Ok? I don't want to have to walk inside there knowing you get to drive off free as a bird. You think it's easy for me? You think it's easy for me knowing you're living it up here in the lap of luxury, while I'm stuck in that place?", he says, unable to keep his thoughts bottled up. Unknowingly echoing their father's words to Ryan that first night in the poolhouse.

The words hit Ryan hard. His mouth opens and he tries to find words. "I....I'm sorry. I...."

Trey sighs and closes his eyes for a moment. "Shit, Ry. That wasn't fair. I shouldn't have said that. It's not your fault. I just....I need you to stay here, ok? I need to do this goodbye shit right here."

Ryan swallows and quietly says, "Ok."

The soft tone causes Trey to flinch, feeling like he just kicked a puppy. He steps up to Ryan and pulls him into a hug. "I'm sorry. You just.....take care of yourself", he says as he releases him and steps back.

Ryan nods and says, "you, too".

Trey looks over to Seth and Caleb who have been nervously watching the exchange from the sideline. He says to Caleb that he's ready to go, then holds out a hand to Seth. "The ball's in your court, now", he says solemnly.

Seth shakes his hand, understanding the meaning. He's passing off the brother baton. Seth shoots a look at Ryan who is looking away. "I've got his back", he says determinedly.

"I know ya do", Trey says with a half smile. He turns back to Ryan and says, "later, LB".

Ryan lifts his hand up and waves and softly says, "later".

Trey and Caleb enter the kitchen and inform Kirsten and Sandy that Caleb will be driving Trey back alone. They say polite goodbyes and see them to the door. Once the car leaves the driveway Kirsten closes the front door and lets out an audible sigh. Sandy pulls her into a hug as she says, "thank God. I'm glad that's over". Sandy holds her for a moment and they turn back to find Ryan standing there, a hurt look on his face. "Ryan, I.....", Kirsten starts.

Ryan shakes his head. "It's ok. I know you guys don't like him", he says plainly. He can't stop himself from asking, "is that how you felt that first weekend I was here? When Sandy took me back to Chino?" She doesn't deny it, and she doesn't have to because he already knows the answer.

"I..I didn't know you", is all she offers.

"You don't know Trey and it's clear that you don't want to. Not really. I know he's not perfect. I know he doesn't think but he's my brother and I just wish you'd try to see him like I do", he says before turning and walking away.

Kirsten and Sandy sigh dejectedly. One step forward and two steps back.


	32. Chapter 32

**A/N: So, this one took an interesting turn. It is totally not what I had in mind when I sat down to write more of it today. In fact, I deleted all I had and started over and this is what happened. lol. **

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Chapter Thirty Two

"Mr. Nichol?", Ryan tentatively calls from the doorway.

Caleb looks up from his desk. "Ryan. Come in, son", he says, waving Ryan into his office. "What are you doing here?", he asks, surprised at seeing him at the Newport Group.

Ryan frowns, misreading the tone. "Uh, I...I'm sorry. You're busy. I shouldn't have...", he fumbles.

"No. No, that's not what I mean, Ryan. You're more than welcome to stop by any time. I was just wondering what brought you out this way. You're still recovering. Sit down", he says as he studies the boy over. His bruises have faded but he can tell he's still got some discomfort from his ribs. It's been a few weeks since the funeral but the doctor said they were healing nicely and that as long as Ryan was getting around without too much discomfort, and was careful, he'd be all right leaving the house.

"I'm ok. I, uh, have a session with my therapist in a little while but I, um....", he trails off as he chews his lip. Kirsten and Sandy finally pushed for Ryan to choose a therapist. He hadn't been sleeping well. He physical wounds were healing so he wasn't taking as much medication and without the medication the nightmares had come regularly. The Cohens were worried. The fact that things were still a bit strained between Ryan and Kirsten wasn't helping. He'd withdrawn from Sandy as well but he barely spoke to Kirsten unless he was directly addressed. Kirsten was right about the therapist. Ryan chose the female one, Erin Morgan. The Cohens had gone with him for the first session, to help outline areas they all think needed addressing in regards to improving communication amongst the family. Sandy and Kirsten agreed to speak with her separately from Ryan, to address their own issues and the best way to help Ryan deal with everything. Dr. Morgan assured Ryan that anything he told her would be private unless he gave expressed permission for her to share it with them, and told him that the same held true of their sessions. They wanted to drive him today but he had insisted on going alone. He didn't want them hovering. So this was his first solo session. He was a little nervous. He called Trey the day before but he wouldn't take his call. For the fifth time in the past couple of weeks. Which is what prompted him to leave a little early and pay Caleb a visit.

Caleb smiles, motioning again to a chair, and says softly, "What is it, Ryan?"

Ryan sits and sighs. "I was just wondering....when you took Trey back? Did he say anything?"

"It was a long drive back. We talked", Caleb says as he tries to puzzle out exactly what Ryan is asking. "What is it you'd like to know?"

"Did he seem.....mad? At me?", Ryan asks, vulnerable blue eyes turned to Caleb.

Caleb breaks the gaze momentarily and clears his throat. "He seemed more angry at himself. Not with you. He felt bad for snapping at you the way he did. He knows you're not to blame for his predicament".

Somewhat mollified, Ryan sinks back in the chair, looking down at his hands. "He won't take my calls", he sighs. "..so I wrote him a letter last week...and he sent it back".

Caleb rounds the desk and sits across from Ryan. "Ah. I see", Caleb says. "Ryan, you remember what he said the day he had to go back?".

Ryan nods. Of course he did. The words stung him. Hell, the first few nights after he went back he couldn't even sleep without feeling guilty for sleeping in a big soft bed knowing that Trey was sleeping on a thin mattress with a scratchy blanket.

"As much as he's sorry he said it, it _is_ hard for him. Especially now that he's seen where you're living firsthand. It's probably more than either of you could have ever imagined growing up", Caleb speculates. "It would be hard for anyone not to be resentful, even if they do know they only have themselves to blame".

"Yeah", Ryan agreed with a sad smile. He couldn't help but wonder how Trey felt in that house, having his good fortune shoved in his face.

"He's not blaming you but I think he's doing what he thinks he needs to in order to get through the rest of his sentence", Caleb tries to explain. "..and I think he feels it's best for you, too. For right now."

"Well, he's wrong", Ryan says with a scowl. "I....I need to know he's ok. That no one else is hassling him".

"And what would you do if you knew someone was, Ryan?", Caleb asks, meeting his eyes.

Ryan chews his lip. "I don't know", he says dejectedly.

Caleb smiles. "You needn't worry, Ryan. Your brother is fine". At Ryan's questioning eyes, he explains. "Trey's rough around the edges but I don't think he's a lost cause. I've told him, as well as KiKi and Sanford, that I want to help him. I have informed him that there will be a job waiting for him when he gets out _if _he stays out of trouble and gets his GED. Which he's studying for." He studies Ryan's reaction a moment and goes on. "I'm keeping an eye on him, Ryan." He was keeping very close tabs on Trey, actually. He had someone there in the prison watching out for him, ready to alert Caleb if any untenable situations seemed to be developing.

Surprised at that news, Ryan nods slowly, taking it all in. Grateful for Caleb taking such an interest in Trey. "What kind of job?", he asks with a frown, wondering what kind of a job Caleb could possibly offer that Trey had even a chance of liking and keeping.

"Your brother expressed an interest in working on cars. I have arranged to have a job waiting for him at a garage in Pomona", Caleb tells him.

Ryan gives an accepting nod. Trey was always good at working on cars. He's the only thing that kept their mom's junker running for so long before AJ came into the picture. Pomona. The corner of his mouth quirks up. "Not too close but not too far, either".

Caleb smiles. He should have known the boy would catch on to that. "The NHRA also hosts a drag racing event there. So there's a drag strip there to give him something to do in his off time", he says with a wink. Meaning, to keep him out of trouble. He'd have to keep an eye on him. He may see things he wants and be tempted to take shortcuts but if he gives him a leg up, finds him an apartment he'll be able to afford and still have a little leftover to feel like he's not just scraping by he might be able to keep on the straight and narrow. "I don't want him out of your life, Ryan, but I do think you'll both be better with a little distance between you. You both need to concentrate on your own lives and get on steady footing." He knows they both wouldn't mean to do it...well, not Ryan anyway, but they would hold each other back.

Ryan met his eyes but offered nothing in response. He knew Caleb was right. The older they got the further apart they seemed to grow. The night they got arrested was the first time he'd seen Trey in nearly a month. He'd moved out long before, sharing a place with a couple of other guys. Ryan didn't like them so he didn't go there much but Trey used to stop at the house once in a while if he didn't see AJ's car in the drive. His visits got further and further apart and each time Ryan saw him it became clear that they were starting to take different paths. That is, until Ryan chose to get into that car with him. Now that he was with the Cohens the gulf was growing again, even wider than before but maybe with Caleb's help Trey won't drift completely away from him.

"Ryan?", Caleb's voice draws him from his thoughts. "Are you all right?", he asks, concerned as Ryan's eyes drift and become unfocused.

Ryan blinks and looks down. His hand slips into his pocket and seeks out the shell Seth found on the beach. He trails his thumb across it. It's not as smooth as Ziggy but it still feels good in his hand. He looks up at Caleb. "Yeah. I'm ok.....thanks". He looks up again and smiles. "Thanks for...you know...Trey." He looks down at his watch, and stands. "Shit, I need to go", he says. His eyes raise in alarm when he realizes what he said. "Sorry", he adds hastily.

Caleb laughs. He doesn't care if the boy cusses but Kirsten would have his hide if he allowed him to get in the habit. "I'll let you slide this one time", he says. "Look, why don't I drive you over. Then I can wait or just come back when you're done. We can do lunch after and then I'll bring you back here to pick up the car."

Ryan is surprised at the offer and after giving it brief thought he accepts. "Uh, yeah. Ok. You don't have to wait, though. I know you're busy", he says as Caleb follows him out the door.

"There's nothing that can't wait. Besides, I'm the boss. I can do whatever the hell I want", Caleb says haughtily, earning a chuckle from Ryan.

Dr. Morgan's office is only a couple of blocks from The Newport Group so they make it there in no time. Ryan checks in with the receptionist and is informed the the doctor is running a little over with her last client. Ryan and Caleb take a seat in the waiting room off to the side.

"What have you got there?", Caleb asks, noticing the shell in Ryan's hand.

Ryan looks down and a blush creeps into his cheeks. "Oh, uh....", he shakes his head. "..it's a shell Seth found on the beach the day we walked down with Trey. He was giving me shi....a hard time about naming the shell Trey had given me when we were kids."

Caleb smiled at the mid-curse word correction. "Ah, yes. Ziggy, wasn't it?"

Ryan turns raised eyebrows at Caleb, surprised that he remembered the name.

"Does this one have a name", Caleb teases.

Ryan laughs. "No. No name", he says relaxing slightly.

They lapse into silence and Caleb notices Ryan's thumb start rubbing the shell again. "You know", he starts but pauses. "..after my wife died......I was not a pleasant man.."

Ryan gives a side glance at that but refrains from saying anything.

Caleb doesn't miss it. "All right. I'm still not a pleasant man....at times, but I was throwing myself into my work. I don't know how many people I fired and threatened to run out of town. Hell, I did run a few out of town. Kirsten finally stepped in...", he gently offers. He is well aware of the tension between the two since Trey's visit. "She told me she had been seeing a therapist and suggested that I did as well. Needless to say, I scoffed at the idea. I thought it was a whole lot of hooey....but, I finally agreed to get Kirsten off of my back about it."

Ryan nods. "She doesn't back down easily", Ryan extends. He knows he's been unfair to her. Trey has given them plenty of reason to be wary but, he can't help it. It hurts that they dislike him so.

"Truer words were never spoken, my boy", Caleb agrees. "At any rate, I agreed to go, to appease her. I figured that I'd go a few times so that I could tell her I had and then be done with it".

"So, is this the part when you tell me she was right and you're glad she pushed you into going?", Ryan asks.

"Hell, no. That doctor was an idiot. Biggest moron I'd ever met in my life", Caleb scowls. "I went three times and that's three hours of my life I'll never get back".

Ryan looks at him, amused, trying to judge if Caleb is being serious. It appears so by the look on his face.

"...but, he did give me something that I think had a similar affect as that shell of yours", he says as he motions to Ryan's hands. "They were meditation balls", he says and scoffs a little. "It sounds ridiculous but you hold them in your hand and spin them, kind of juggling them in the one hand, trying not to drop one. I don't know, the smooth texture....the gentle chime they made...it was....relaxing. I still have them in my office desk drawer and even bought a set for at home....they may be the only reason I haven't had a heart attack before now...but if you breath a word of this to Kirsten or anyone else I'll deny it", he says to Ryan with raised eyebrows but a gleam in his eye. "I'd never hear the end of it. From KiKi or Sanford." He shudders at the thought of Sandy knowing. Or, heaven forbid, Seth.

Ryan held up two fingers, "Scouts honor", he vows.

Caleb's eyes narrow, "Were you a boy scout?"

Ryan snorted. "No."

Caleb laughed.

"Ryan? Mr. Nichol", a vaguely familiar voice cuts into their banter.

Ryan looked up to see Agent Cook, instantly sobering him. He doesn't rise but Caleb does and extends his hand. They shake.

"You weren't looking for us, were you?", he asks as he casts a furtive glance to Ryan, who has gone a bit pale.

"Oh, no. No. Nothing like that. I'm, uh, actually here on a....personal matter", he offers as he looks at Ryan. Taking in the boy's tense posture he sits and attempts to put him at ease somehow. "I'm sorry, Ryan. I didn't mean to..."

Ryan shifts uncomfortably and shakes his head. "No...it's...it's ok. I'm just being stupid".

"Nothing stupid about it", Jason says. "The last time you saw me, you were dealing with some pretty heavy stuff. You still are. I have to say that I'm, for lack of a better word, glad to see you here", he says as he nods toward Dr. Morgan's door. "I've been seeing her for years. Not straight mind you but when a work situation comes up. The department makes you see the one they have on staff but after one particularly bad case he suggested I see one outside of the department. I've been seeing Erin ever since to help me sort through some things on occasion".

Ryan squeezes the shell and licks his lips. "So, uh, you had a...bad case?", he asks timidly, discerning that the "personal matter" pertained to a "work situation".

Jason shifts and sighs, not sure if he should tell Ryan.

"I'm sorry. I...I shouldn't have asked. It's none of my business", he stammers out, feeling stupid. He doesn't want to talk about why he's here, why would he expect this guy would want to.

"Hey. It's ok, Ryan. I just wasn't sure if I should share it, considering all you are dealing with . It, uh, it was a shooting", he offers gently. When Ryan shows no sign of real discomfort he continues. "A man we were tracking....I fired the bullet that killed him. I'm on mandatory leave until they finish the standard investigation and I am cleared by the department shrink. I thought I'd see if Erin could fit me in".

Right on cue, the door to the office opens and a man steps into the room with Dr. Morgan, looking completely wrung out. He briefly glances over to the waiting room where Agent Cook, Ryan and Caleb are sitting and then Dr. Morgan smiles and whispers something to him and he leaves. She approaches and they all rise.

She smiles encouragingly at Ryan. "Hello, Ryan. How are you feeling today?"

Ryan chews his lip and offers a quick. "I'm ok".

She can sense his nervousness but decides not to draw attention to it and turns to Caleb and greets him. She then turns a questioning brow to Agent Cook, having been informed by her receptionist that he is wanting an appointment. Knowing he doesn't come here lightly, she says, "Jason. I have one more client after Ryan but I can cut my lunch break short and squeeze you in for a half an hour or so today."

Before he can answer, Ryan says, "He can talk to you now. I can come back".

The three adults smile.

"Nice try, kid", Jason says with a wink. He points to himself and says, "Mandatory leave, remember. I've got all the time in the world". He turns back to Dr. Morgan. "How about I bring lunch. I'll buy."

"Sounds like a plan. That'll free up a few extra minutes for your session", Erin smiles and then returns attention to her current client. "All right, Ryan. Shall we?", she says as she motions toward her office.

"I'll be here when you're done, Ryan", Caleb says, giving Ryan's shoulder a squeeze. He leans in and whispers, "I have a feeling you'll have better luck with this one than I did with mine".

Ryan gives a small smile and slowly trudges toward the office.

"He looks like he's walking his last mile", Caleb states, half-joking.

"The first few times are hard. He'll get more comfortable. He's in good hands", Jason says as he, too, watches Ryan enter the office.

Caleb hopes so. He wasn't joking about his experience with a psychiatrist. He hopes this woman is nothing like the fool he had chosen. He looks to Agent Cook and studies him. He seems to truly be getting something out of his sessions and if he can, considering the job he has, then maybe this will be good for Ryan. He knows the boy's not sleeping well and refuses to talk about the nightmares to Sandy and Kirsten. He hasn't had a chance to talk with Seth yet, so he doesn't know if Ryan is at least opening up to him a little. Even if he is, it's too much for Seth to bear alone. Caleb clears his throat and ponders if he should ask the question that is suddenly on the tip of his tongue.

"Go ahead", Agent Cook. "You've got something on your mind. Ask."

"You work missing persons cases primarily. Isn't that right?", Caleb asks. "Were you......"

"Yes. I was working on one this time. The man I shot was the perp. He snatched a 10 year old boy right from his front yard", he says as his eyes darken.

"I'm sorry. I...didn't know. Since Ryan, we haven't watched much news. Reporters were sniffing around for a while but they backed off. Now I know why", Caleb states. They had remained pretty isolated while Ryan was recovering. "The boy, was he...?", he trails off, somehow already knowing the answer.

Agent Cook hangs his head as he shakes it and says softly, "No. We didn't get there in time. Not this time". He pulls in a breath and exhales and he sits in a chair. Caleb follows suit. "Most cases like this.....like Ryan's.....they don't end the way we'd like". He looks toward the closed door to Dr. Morgan's office. "Ryan...he's that one in ten that turn out right. Well, as right as they can".

Caleb is quiet a second. "I don't know how you do it".

Jason smiles sardonically and waves a hand around, acknowledging their surroundings. "Coming here. That's how. There was a stretch, a few years ago, where I chose to drink myself into oblivion to try to numb the memory of a bad case. To try to stop myself from feeling anything. Thinking that if I could do that the job would be easier. But after a while I realized, the day I truly stop feeling anything when I get there too late....when I take a life....that's the day I turn in my badge. I stopped trying to not feel and started coming here."

Caleb nods silently, not know how to respond but understanding.

Jason offers up another smile. "...and cases like Ryan's help. Looking into that kid's eyes.....he's a fighter. Getting there in time, even just one time out of ten?....makes it all worth it".

Caleb thanks God that Ryan was that one in ten. How could he have been so wrong about the boy? He'd wasted so much time and only now was realizing, after spending time with him, how much he'd been missing out on. The boy was bringing him closer to his daughter. He didn't even mind spending time with Sandy anymore. Much. He was learning to appreciate Seth's wit and accept that he was never going to be interested in the family business. He was opening his eyes in many ways. Looking back to Agent Cook, he wonders if Ryan has any idea of the effect he has on people.

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	33. Chapter 33

**A/N: Sorry folks. Work has been crayayzy and I just haven't been able to write much lately but I got off work early today so I forced myself to sit down and knock this out. **

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Chapter Thirty Three

Dr. Morgan waits patiently for Ryan to settle as she takes her seat and opens her notebook to take notes throughout the session. He stands uncomfortably, studying the room as if it were the first time he's been in it. He slowly walks forward once he seems satisfied with the surroundings and takes a seat in a chair near the window.

"Would you like something to drink, Ryan?", she asks.

Ryan shakes his head.

"All right. Shall we get started?", she asks encouragingly.

He takes a breath and blows it out as he nods.

Dr. Morgan smiles and says, "You set the pace, Ryan. Anything you want to talk about is what we'll talk about. All right?" She takes note that he hasn't taken off his hoodie. "If you don't like any turns in the conversation we can stop and talk about something else if you like. Would you like to take your jacket off? It might get a bit warm in here."

"No", Ryan says quickly as he shoves his hand into his pocket to seek out the shell. "Um...that's ok. I'm ok."

Erin encourages Ryan to begin once again, "Is anything specific on your mind today, Ryan?"

Ryan shakes his head. "Not really."

Dr. Morgan smiles again and tries to draw him out. "I was surprised to see Mr. Nichol with you. He's quite different than I imagined. His face seems....softer in person....."

Ryan snorts. He shakes his head in amusement. _Softer...._He never thought he'd hear Caleb Nichol described in that way.

"He seems so intimidating on tv and in the newspapers. You hear stories...", she says, glad to see Ryan relax a bit and settle into the seat more comfortably.

"Yeah, he was pretty scary when I first met him. He didn't like me very much", Ryan shares.

"You get on well now, it seems", Dr. Morgan says.

Ryan gives a small smile and nods. "He's been really great since.....". His smile fades and he trails off.

"Since...", Dr. Morgan encourages.

Ryan sighs and rubs the shell in his pocket. "Since all this stuff with my dad went down." He shifts and changes direction. "He's helping my brother. Said he's got a job lined up for him when he gets out and if he gets his GED. He said Trey's working on that now", he says as he looks up at her and smiles proudly.

"That's good, Ryan. I'm glad he's got some extra support", Dr. Morgan says and waits to see if he'll continue.

"Yeah, maybe now I won't....",he starts but stops and frowns.

Dr. Morgan prompts him to finish his thought. "Maybe now you won't what, Ryan?"

"I....I keep having these dreams. Kind of a weird combination of when we were kids and more recent.....when my dad had me...", he shifts in his seat again and looks up at her, not really wanting to get into it but that's why he's here. Besides, Agent Cook seems to think talking to her helps and the Cohens are paying good money for him to come here. He promised them he'd try and if Mr. Nichol could suck it up and give it a shot when his wife died then he could, too.

"Tell me about them", Dr. Morgan requests gently.

He's quiet a moment and then stands and walks to the window and looks out at the cloudless blue sky. He takes a deep breath and in a quiet voice he says, "I start dreaming about......what happened...but lately Trey's there with me and it's all mixed up. We're either locked in a closet or a basement, like when we were kids. Sometimes we're little and sometimes we're grown, like now....and....", his voice gets shaky and he wraps his arms around himself. "it jumps around...sometimes I can't tell....it's always so dark and I can't...I don't realize when or where until I'm reaching around in the dark and my hand finds someone and I realize I'm in the basement with Joe. I go to turn him over and then suddenly it's not so dark and I can see his face. Only it's not his face. It's Trey....it's Trey's dead body there in the basement with me."

"And you think that Mr. Nichol's reaching out to Trey will ease these dreams?", Dr. Morgan asks, trying to figure out the connection between their conversation about Caleb ties in with Trey and his dreams.

Ryan turns around. "Well, yeah. It doesn't take a rocket scientist to know what it means. He's locked up in a cell and I'm afraid something will happen to him in there but now....Mr. Nichol is watching out for him."

"What else could it mean? Your dream."

Ryan's brow furrows in question.

"Dreams don't always have to be so literal. I'm sure that fear is very real for you and does play a part but what other ways could you lose Trey, other than death?"

"You mean the Cohens, right?", Ryan asks. "You think I'm afraid of losing him because they're pushing him out."

Dr. Morgan asks, "Is that what you think? That the Cohens are pushing him out?"

Ryan sighs. "Well, yeah. They don't like him. They don't want him around. "

"Why do you think that is?"

Ryan rolls his eyes. "Look, I know they have legitimate reasons. He's gotten himself into a lot of trouble and they think he's gotten me into a lot of trouble."

"Has he?"

"I can think for myself. I chose to help him on Thanksgiving", he says. "They can't put it all on Trey."

"Did you really feel you had a choice, Ryan?" He averts his eyes and doesn't answer. "Let me ask you this, would you have put Trey in that position? Would you have asked him to risk so much for you?", Dr. Morgan asks.

He looks at her, eyes flashing. "That's not a fair question. I'm not in jail. I'm not getting beat up and threatened. I'm not afraid that someone's gonna shank me", Ryan says, annoyed. "I don't know what I'd do."

"You're right, Ryan. That wasn't a fair question" she says, deciding to back off of that train of questioning. "Let's get back to my original question about why the Cohens don't want Trey around. Let's talk about Kirsten in particular. It's with her that you're feeling the most tension, correct?", she asks.

Ryan eyes her for a moment and then nods. "Yeah", he says as he retakes his seat.

"Why do you think that is? There's not as much strain between you and Sandy but he's got his concerns about Trey as well. So what I'm asking is, what makes Kirsten different? Why is it harder for you to forgive her position?"

He shifts in his seat as he ponders his answer. "I don't know. I guess it's because Sandy's the one that brought me home? He didn't just see a criminal in a jumpsuit when he met me. So I guess I feel like he's not just judging Trey by that alone. I know he's worried because he cares about me. He doesn't want me to get hurt. My family doesn't have the best track record."

"But you don't think that Kirsten is coming from the same place?"

Ryan looks up at her and says, "No...that's not what I mean. I know she cares about me. I...I don't want you to think Kirsten's....she.....she doesn't know him.......she.....". He trails off.

"She didn't know you at first, either. How did she respond to you when Sandy brought you home?", Dr. Morgan asks, although she already knows the answer. She's heard it from Kirsten's point of view but wants to find out what Ryan has picked up on and how he dissected it.

"Like you said, she didn't know me. She was just trying to protect Seth", he says again.

"From you".

"From who she thought I was. She didn't know me. It's different now", he says again defensively, his mind flashing to the look of disappointment on her face when he'd finally been forced to tell them all what he did on Thanksgiving. "Her husband brought home some kid he picked up from jail. I don't blame her". He shifts in his seat and meets her eyes.

"How did you feel being in her house?"

He sighs and says, "She was polite and made sure I had what I needed but I could tell she didn't want me there...and then Seth and I got into a fight on the beach and she blamed me for it. She couldn't get me out of there fast enough after that". He looks down at his hands and studies the shell held tightly within it.

Dr. Morgan catches a glimpse of the object in his hand but can't make out what it is. She watches as his grip loosens and his thumb begins to run across the surface. "Then you came back", she says, a statement more than a question.

Ryan gives a soft snort. "Yeah. Sandy brought me back because I had nowhere else to go. I overheard them talking. She kept saying that I couldn't stay".

"What changed? How did they come to be your guardians?", she asks.

Ryan eyed her, knowing she knew the answer to that already.

She smiles back. "Humor me".

"They found my mom and then.....she ditched me again. I guess she felt sorry for me", Ryan says with a shrug.

"And now?", Dr. Morgan presses.

"It's different now. She knows me. We're.....she says I'm family now", Ryan says.

Dr. Morgan takes note of the slightly unsure tone, making a note that Kirsten's reaction to Trey is igniting some unresolved insecurities. "So, when you first came she was protecting her son from what she mistakenly perceived as a threat", she says carefully. "And now she sees Trey as the threat and you are....?", she prompts, trying to get him to see the correlation. Trying to get him to see that he is now in Seth's role and that Kirsten is trying to protect _him_, but Ryan misses it completely.

He nods slowly and frowns. "And now _I'm_ bringing the threat into their lives. If they let Trey come around and see me when he gets out then he'll be around Seth, too. Of course they want to protect him." He shakes his head, now feeling guilty for getting mad at her for trying to protect her own son.

Dr. Morgan asks, "Only Seth?"

"No......me, too. They want me to stay out of trouble", Ryan answers.

"Is that the only reason?"

Ryan sighs. "No. I told you. I know they care about me and after......everything that's happened they're freaked out that something else might happen. Something bad. Atwoods don't seem to bring them anything but trouble."

"Does that include you?"

Ryan meets her eyes briefly and then looks away. Of course he causes trouble. It's been one thing after another.

"Ryan?", Dr. Morgan prompts.

Ryan sighs. "Sometimes it seems like all I've done is make trouble."

"How so?"

Ryan looks at her with a raised eyebrow. "Other than burning down a house and getting into fights and dragging them all into my family bullshit and sending everyone into therapy?", he says flatly. He looks away. Shaking his head, he stands and starts to pace. He doesn't blame the Cohens for not wanting to risk another round with Trey but he can't cut him off. Not even for them. Not even after everything they've done for him. His thoughts drift back to what he was thinking about in Caleb's office, about how he and Trey were already drifting apart before they got arrested and how much bigger the gap seems to be now that he's living in Newport. While all of the events that took place with his dad has brought up so much from his past, at the same time it's pushed him more firmly into this new life of his and, as bad as his old life was, the thought of losing it altogether scares the hell out of him. He is who he is because of how he grew up. Who is he without all of that? Who is he in Newport, other than that kid from Chino that burned down a house? And now the kid whose dad tried to kill him.

"Ryan?", Dr. Morgan asks, trying to draw him out at the emotions playing across his face.

He shows no sign of having heard her as his thoughts keep swirling. Trey's locked up and the Cohens are worried about Seth and, yeah, worried about him, too, and yet here he is just thinking of himself. He's worried about losing Trey because he's afraid to lose that last tie to who he used to be when he doesn't quite know where he fits here. God, is he really that selfish? He gives a disgusted snort and makes his way to the window again. They paid his medical bills and are paying for this therapy on top of all they paid out to his psycho of a dad and in return he's been a complete ass to them just for wanting to keep their kid safe.

"Ryan?", Dr. Morgan asks again. "Talk to me. What are you thinking?"

His voice is soft when he replies. "Why do they put up with me?"

"Because they love you", Dr. Morgan states simply.

***************************************

Outside, Caleb Nichol sits leafing through magazines and occasionally checking in with his office. Agent Cook left some time ago to pick up lunch for himself and the doctor. Caleb's eyes drift to the door, wondering how things are going.

"Grandpa?"

"Seth?", Caleb says as he rises and meets the source.

"What are you doing here?", Seth asks as he steps further into the room.

"I came with Ryan, to offer a little support", Caleb answers, gesturing for Seth to sit down.

"Oh", Seth says. A frown settling on his face. "He said he wanted to come alone. I guess he just didn't want us".

Caleb smiles softly. "I don't think Ryan knows what he wants or needs right now". He pats Seth's leg. "He came to see me before his appointment and then I offered to accompany him and take him to lunch after."

"What did he want to talk to you about?", Seth asks, wondering what Ryan would want to talk about with his grandpa that he wouldn't talk with him about.

Caleb pondered how much he should share. He would hate for Ryan to feel that he's broken his trust. "His brother has apparently broken off all contact. Ryan was concerned. I reassured him that all was well. As well as could be expected anyway."

Seth nodded slowly, still wondering why Ryan would go to Caleb and not mention anything to him. He knows why he wouldn't go to his parents. The tension was still pretty palpable between them. Especially between his mom and Ryan after Trey left.

Reading the questions on Seth's face, Caleb says, "He knows all of you have concerns about Trey. Your parents more so than you but, still, I think he feels Trey is a safe subject with me. I think he just needs a friendly ear....", he narrows his eyes with a hint of amusement as Seth's eyebrows raise at the thought of Caleb being a _friendly ear_...."someone that he feels isn't going to be happy at the distance".

"I wouldn't be happy about it. I know he's made some bad calls and fallen in with some bad people but I kinda like Trey. Their life was so different growing up...... I know he's not all bad and I know how important he is to Ryan", Seth says.

"I know that, son, and I think Ryan knows that as well but I think he's still feeling his way through. He's been through a lot. His relationship with his brother is changing. He has this new life and he doesn't know how to fit it all together. Hopefully, Dr. Morgan can help him sort it all out. In the meantime, we need to be patient and just be there when he seeks us out."

Seth studies Caleb's face and sees nothing but sincerity. A huge grin breaks out on his face. He's seen his grandpa warming to Ryan during this whole ordeal but he didn't realize just how much until now. Impulsively, he leans over and gives Caleb a hug.

Caleb stiffens a bit, caught off guard but relaxes when he hears Seth's soft, "thanks, Grandpa".

Caleb pulls away after a moment and clears his throat. "Yes, well. Ryan's a good kid. I only wish I'd seen it sooner. We'll help him, Seth. We'll help him piece everything together. He's a Cohen and a Nichol now. We look after our own. That includes Trey by extension. It'll all work out, Seth. Mark my words."

They both hear the closing of a door and turn to see Ryan standing there, watching with an unreadable expression on his face. Dr. Morgan standing behind him, with a small smile gracing her face. They'd stepped out just in time to hear the last half of the exchange. She's happy Ryan heard it. She is, quite frankly, amazed at Caleb's insight into what Ryan might be struggling with. His ordeal with his father had undoubtedly shaken his already unsteady footing in Newport and within the Cohens lives. The culture shock of his transition to Newport alone would have been difficult and it's clear that there are many unresolved issues there as it is. The Cohens, while having their hearts in the right place in bringing Ryan into their home, have left many questions unanswered for Ryan, forcing him to come to his own conclusions and navigate the uncertain waters on his own.

She was under no illusions that he'd take her words that they love him at face value. Normally she wouldn't venture such a statement without him reaching that conclusion himself but the words were out of her mouth before she knew it. She normally has better control but something about this boy couldn't stop her from telling him what he needed to hear and, judging from her early sessions with Sandy and Kirsten, along with this brief glimpse of Caleb Nichol, she was sure it was true. Mr. Nichol seemed to have an excellent grasp of what might be going through Ryan's head and his going the extra mile for Trey is bound to go a long way in showing that he doesn't have to sacrifice one family for the other. There may be obstacles with Sandy, Kirsten and Trey but Caleb Nichol just might be the bridge that leads them all to a tenable place.

She tried to get Ryan to verbalize the root of his weary question in the session's closing minutes, but he'd pretty much shut down. He had studied her face after her statement, as if to ascertain some hidden motive. Some therapist trick to get him to reveal something. She's certain he knows that they care for him but it's clear that he's unsure of just where that line ends.

Ryan stands motionless. He was surprised to hear Caleb's words echoing some of his own thoughts inside with Dr. Morgan, about not knowing where he fits. Hearing Caleb and Seth discussing his relationship with Trey and knowing that Caleb has taken steps to encourage Trey to work toward something has eased the knot in his stomach somewhat. He still feels like he's floundering a bit, especially with recently feeling like Trey had cut the line and cast him adrift, but Caleb is tossing them both a line, keeping them connected.

Caleb and Seth are up on their feet now and approach Ryan.

"Hey", Seth says.

"All done?", Caleb asks. He casts a look at Dr. Morgan and she gives a smile and a nod, answering the question in his eyes and indicating that the session went relatively well. Not quite as well as she'd have liked but their timely entrance into the waiting area may have just ensured that they ended on a more positive note than inside. She knows there is a lot of ground to cover. They haven't even begun to touch the surface with the traumatic experience he's just gone through with his biological father but there's time for that. Right now Ryan needs to accept his place in the Cohens lives. She needs to help him repair the foundation there so that he has the support he'll need when they finally delve into the subject of his physical and emotional trauma at his father's hands.

"Hey", Ryan says softly. "What are you doing here?", he asks Seth.

"Uh, just in the neighborhood?", he says with a smile. "I, uh, just thought you might want some company on the way home but I see that grandpa has it covered so I'll just....."

Ryan smiles. "We were going to do lunch. You wanna come?"

Seth smiles widely and nods.

"All right. I'll see you next time, Ryan", Dr. Morgan says. "If you need to talk before our next session, you have my number. Any time, Ryan", she says firmly.

Ryan ducks his head and smiles softly. "Yeah. Thanks."

Caleb puts an arm over each boy's shoulder and steers them toward the door. "Shall we?"

Any lingering tension from the session drains from Ryan's shoulders as they exit the room.

Dr. Morgan looks on with a smile on her face and then shakes her head. So that was Caleb Nichol. She never would have guessed.

**************************************************

Lunch is subdued but relaxed. Seth yammering on about a new comic while Ryan eats half of his lunch. Not as much as Caleb would like but better than nothing. Kirsten has told him that he hasn't been eating well and that along with his trouble sleeping has her worried. Ryan catches him looking and he raises his eyebrows in question. Caleb just smiles and gives him a pointed look as he shifts his eyes from the food and back to Ryan, who rolls his eyes but picks up his burger and takes another bite, giving a look that says, "happy now?".

Seth smirks at the interaction between the two. Marveling at the effect Ryan has had on his Grandpa, and vice versa, now that he's accepted him in their lives. He always felt Caleb was disappointed in him. Sure he taught him how to sail but when Seth showed no interest in sports or in the family business he didn't seem to have time for him anymore. "Hey Grandpa?", Seth ventures.

"Yes, Seth?"

"Do you think, uh, we could all go sailing sometime? We haven't been in a while and it might be fun for Ryan to get out on the water in something bigger than the Summer Breeze", he asks chewing on his lip.

Caleb sees the uncertainty on his grandson's face and feels a pang of guilt. He stopped spending time alone with the boy some time ago. No time like the present to remedy that. "Of course. That's a fine idea, Seth", he says. Turning to Ryan he says, "What do you say, Ryan? Up for a sail this weekend?"

Ryan nods and smiles. "Yeah, that'd be cool."

Seth's face breaks out into a big genuine smile for the second time since Caleb has seen today. Hell, since he's seen in a long time.

"All right, then. We'll make a day of it. I'll call have the boat checked over and make sure it's fully stocked. We'll need to run it by your parents first", he says to Seth.

Ryan's smile falters at the mention of them. "You think they'll let me? I've been kind of a jerk to them lately and I know they're worried...."

Caleb pats him on the shoulder. "They're worried that you're not sleeping and eating right. I don't think they'll object to a relaxing sail on the water", he says assuredly. "..but it might not hurt to sit down and talk with them. Try to clear the air, hmmm?", he suggests.

Ryan nods and sighs. "Yeah". He owes them that much. He'll apologize when he gets home. Wiping his mouth with his napkin he suggests that they head home. Suddenly he's very tired and feels like he could actually sleep.

*****************************************

Caleb drives them back to the Newport Group offices and drops Ryan and Seth off at the car.

Ryan extends his hand to shake and says, "Thanks, Mr. Nichol".

Caleb stares at the hand a moment before taking it and uttering a "you're welcome" but a frown forms on his face at the formality as Ryan and Seth get into the car and drive away. _Mr. Nichol. _It's the way Ryan always addresses him but suddenly it feels completely wrong. Kirsten and Sandy love him like a son. Seth loves him like a brother. That would make Ryan, in essence, his grandson. A year ago he would be appalled at the suggestion. Hell, a few months ago he would have been appalled at the suggestion but he meant it earlier when he said that Ryan was a Cohen and a Nichol. Maybe it was about time they all thought about making it official. One thing is for certain. He won't stand for this "Mr. Nichol" nonsense.

****************************************8

**A/N: Once again, I had written a bunch of this a while ago but then when I restarted I erased a bunch and it went in a different direction. I didn't bother re-reading the previous chapters like I normally do so I hope it falls in line and hope it's ok. I just needed to get my ass in gear and get something posted. **


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